A person carrying the Heavenly Mandate to save the world—this title bore a heavy burden, but its potential benefits were also immense.
Fu Jinyue was never one to shy away from risks. Since someone had already sought her out and stated her name to her face, rather than fearfully waving her hands in refusal, it was better to boldly admit it. Once the words left her mouth, she no longer hesitated.
Pretending to have everything under control, Fu Jinyue asked with a smile, “How did Senior learn of this matter?”
Yun Heyin’s voice was as clear and cold as snow. “In the Eastern Border, there is a divination cultivator who calls himself the ‘Stargazer.’ He can perceive the absolute truth without a single error, and his renown spreads far and wide. The world thus honors him as the ‘Orbit-Determining Star Monarch.’ A few months ago, I had a chance meeting with him.”
Fu Jinyue listened, completely stunned.
In other words, a highly skilled diviner had told Yun Heyin about her, which allowed him to arrive just in time to rescue her from her predicament?
“This Senior Stargazer…” Fu Jinyue frowned. “Does he truly make no omissions in his calculations?”
“Yes.”
Yun Heyin nodded, his dark eyes fixed on her as he said, “The Stargazer once deduced several details of my encounter with you. I did not understand it at the time, but now it has unfolded precisely, piece by piece, without a single word amiss. It is clear his cultivation is profound. He also commanded us to do our utmost to assist Fellow Daoist Fu.”
What a brilliant assist, Fu Jinyue thought. However, she didn’t let her eyes light up too quickly. Locking eyes with that emotionless gaze, she instinctively felt that there were more words to follow.
Sure enough, Yun Heyin continued, “Regrettably, the Stargazer pierced through the heavenly secrets yet chose to comply with the mandate of heaven. This Yun believes that the path of immortal cultivation is inherently an act of defying heaven. Having defied it all the way here, to ultimately entrust the spark of life to an unknown stranger is somewhat…” ridiculous.
He did not finish his sentence.
But Fu Jinyue could already feel the underlying rejection.
This man was like frost and ice on the surface, and on the inside, he kept people thousands of miles away.
He looked at her with a expression as placid as a waveless lake, and his manners were thoroughly polite, flawless from beginning to end. And yet…
It was incredibly subtle.
Fu Jinyue simply knew that he disliked her, solely because the identity she had just admitted to went against his convictions.
If I had known, I wouldn’t have admitted it.
A gamble can turn a motorcycle into a bicycle.
However, since he could seek her out directly, even if she hadn’t admitted it, with the prophecy serving as a guide, the difference probably wouldn’t have been that great.
Yun Heyin stepped aside, clearing a path for her. “The disciples of the Sword Sect caused quite an offense just now. Please come with me, Fellow Daoist Fu. This Yun has prepared an apology banquet for you. Please.”
His tone brooked no argument. Nor was it something a mere minor Qi Refining cultivator could question.
Though the surface respect would not cease, the internal rejection remained.
From Yun Heyin’s demeanor, Fu Jinyue could faintly guess the attitude of the Sword Sect. It made sense; after all, no matter how profound the Heavenly Mandate sounded, her cultivation as this savior was only at the Qi Refining stage. In this cultivation world where Qi Refining practitioners walked everywhere and Foundation Establishment practitioners were as common as dogs, any discerning eye would find it unreliable.
Then again, what kind of world am I supposed to be saving?
The system hadn’t mentioned any doomsday plot for the cultivation world either.
Wasn’t I brought here to propagate the Hehuan Sect?
Along the way, Fu Jinyue repeatedly questioned the system in her mind, shaking it for answers, but the system was completely dazed, whimpering and turning out to be entirely ignorant upon questioning.
She could hardly go shake Yun Heyin to ask him what saving the world meant, could she? Dropping her disguise like that would be far too dangerous. Fortunately, Fu Jinyue was open-minded and bold; if she couldn’t figure it out, she would just take it one step at a time and deal with whatever came her way.
After all, back when she constantly changed partners, her new flames and old flames would occasionally break into fights, which had practically become a regular routine.
If she weren’t open-minded, wouldn’t her path of many amours be weighed down by guilt? She certainly wouldn’t allow that.
Perhaps out of consideration for Fu Jinyue, Yun Heyin’s pace was not fast. After walking through the bamboo forest for a while, two residences appeared before them. Their location and layout did not look like they were meant for the hosts, but rather built for hosting guests.
In front of one of the courtyards stood two attendants, a male and a female. Their appearances were similar, and they were quite young, somewhere between adolescents and children. The moment they saw the newcomers approach, their eyes lit up, though they maintained their composure, saying politely, “This must be the little Fellow Daoist Fu who carries the Heavenly Mandate. Please follow me, the hot water has long been prepared.”
Fu Jinyue didn’t move, casting a glance at the cold young man beside her, waiting for an explanation.
Yun Heyin said, “Your robes were soiled by the Sword Sect disciples, so I took the liberty of ordering clothes and water for you to freshen up first.”
After tossing around in the cave and tumbling on the mountain path, calling it “soiled” was honestly an understatement.
Fu Jinyue wasn’t polite either and immediately agreed.
The two attendants led Fu Jinyue inside. The room was grand and spacious, elegant and refined. In the inner chamber stood a large wooden tub, the water temperature just right. On a tray beside the table, a set of pure white robes was neatly folded.
Fu Jinyue had wanted to bathe for a long time. Seeing the female attendant close the door and prepare to leave, she was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when she saw the male attendant walking toward her, seemingly still intending to remain in the room to serve her while she undressed.
“Ah?” Fu Jinyue’s thoughts wandered, but she said, “No need, no need, I can manage on my own.”
She wanted to dismiss him, but the youth tilted his head to look at her, his almond eyes revealing a bit of innocent simplicity.
“But the storybooks say that when a lady changes her clothes, she must be served,” he said. “Sinian said we are attendants. Now that a guest has finally arrived, shouldn’t we serve her while she changes?”
While Fu Jinyue was weighing her words, she saw the female attendant run in furiously, grabbing the youth by his collar.
“You idiot, Siyan! You never understand a word I say. Storybooks are just storybooks! Besides, those who accompany a lady to freshen up are maidservants. You are a male crane; men and women are different!” It appeared this girl, whose cheeks were puffed with anger, was Sinian.
Sinian and Siyan.
Fu Jinyue pondered the two names, and seeing their similar appearances, she guessed they were twins, though she didn’t know which one was the elder sibling.
Sinian was charmingly fierce and spoke with more order, while Siyan was innocent, his actions always somewhat oblivious. Now, with Sinian pulling his ear and commanding him to apologize, he complied, uttering apologies one after another, before finally asking, “Is this enough?”
Watching the two of them bicker, she found it amusing, and a faint smile appeared on her face.
Seeing her smile, the youth also curved his eyes. Conversely, Sinian’s face turned red with vexation and shame. As she dragged her brother out, she awkwardly apologized to Fu Jinyue.
Fu Jinyue didn’t mind; the commotion and laughter passed quickly.
She undressed, stepped into the water, and enjoyed her first hot bath since crossing into this world.
The warm current flowed over every part of her body. While washing a certain area, Fu Jinyue suddenly recalled a highly important point.
“System, system, I won’t get pregnant, right?”
The system’s tender, childlike female voice was perfectly calm. “Rest assured, how could anyone practicing the Hehuan Dao get pregnant randomly? Whether you want to conceive, whether you can conceive, and whether it’s a boy or a girl, it is all up to the host. However, your cultivation is too low, and it isn’t the time where you can decide on your own yet. The cultivation method will automatically block it for you, so there won’t be any pregnancy.”
Excellent!
Fu Jinyue was thoroughly satisfied.
By the time she climbed out of the bath tub, still dripping wet, Sinian knocked on the door as if she had timed it perfectly. Entering upon permission, she used a spell to dry Fu Jinyue’s hair and served her as she dressed.
Fu Jinyue felt no awkwardness, but the girl was still brooding over the previous matter.
Fu Jinyue said, “I didn’t take it to heart.”
Sinian shook her head. “Thank you for the comfort, little Fellow Daoist Fu, but I can’t let it go in my own mind. Master Yun rarely hosts guests, yet on this rare occasion, we managed to mess it up.”
The girl’s hands were exceptionally deft. Inviting Fu Jinyue to sit before the mirror, she began to braid her hair quickly but without any mess. Looking at Sinian behind her through the smooth surface of the mirror, Fu Jinyue saw her lowered eyes and focused expression, and asked, “What kind of person is your Master Yun usually?”
Sinian replied swiftly, “A good person.”
After a pause, as if feeling it was inadequate, she added, “Little Fellow Daoist Fu shouldn’t look at Master Yun’s usual cold face, as if he is heartless; he is actually very kind.”
“Master Yun has studied alchemy at the Danding Sect since childhood. Due to his exceptional talent, an exception was made for him to apprentice under the Sect Master. While being taught by the Sect Master of the Danding Sect, he simultaneously balanced learning talismans and medicine. Once he was able to take charge on his own, he frequently entered and exited the sect to treat patients without charging a single coin. He is often praised by people for his wondrous skills and benevolent heart.”
Cultivating three arts simultaneously—he was an exceptionally talented master student.
But since he belonged to the Danding Sect, why had he come to stay at the Sword Sect?
Fu Jinyue asked curiously, “Are you all also here to attend the Dao Discussion Banquet?”
“The Dao Discussion Banquet? No.” Sinian tilted her head slightly, frowning as she said, “Although his parents both belong to the Sword Sect, Master Yun doesn’t usually run over here much. His arrival this time is because—”
A cold voice drifted in from outside: “Sinian.”
The thin window paper reflected the silhouettes inside the room. Yun Heyin closed his eyes, withdrew his perception, and warned coldly, “Watch your words.”
Sinian instantly wore the guilty expression of having made a mistake, focusing entirely on braiding the hair, speaking no further.
Fu Jinyue felt greatly bored. Raising her volume, she said, “To interrupt such a coincidence, could it be that Senior has been peeking all along?”
“I didn’t expect that Senior, with such a respectable appearance, would actually commit such a foul deed. Could it be that my entering and exiting the bath just now was seen in its entirety by Senior?”
Sinian’s eyes widened.
Yet Fu Jinyue didn’t receive a rebuttal. That clear, otherworldly man seemed to disdain arguing with her, merely leaving behind the sentence, “The Sect Master of the Sword Sect will come to visit shortly,” before flicking his sleeve and walking away.
Truly boring.
“Master Yun has always been pure-hearted and devoid of desires; he is not that kind of vile person.” Only Sinian remained, muttering a small defense.
……
“This must be the little fellow daoist who carries the Heavenly Mandate.”
The Sect Master of the Sword Sect, Yu Feichen, possessed a cultivation at the mid-Body Integration stage and was powerfully formidable. She was a tall and large female cultivator, her hair bound up and a blade strapped to her side. Her eyes were bright and piercing, and her tone of voice was hearty and grand. Even a perfectly ordinary sentence could be spoken with the feeling of a loud laugh and a pat on the shoulder.
The Sect Master grasped Fu Jinyue’s hand, shaking it up and down a few times. “I have long heard of your grand name.”
This cordial style of greeting was something Fu Jinyue completely hadn’t anticipated.
She glanced at Yun Heyin to the side; his expression was faint, showing no surprise.
Clearly, this was Yu Feichen’s usual state.
One truly didn’t know whether her actions were more surprising, or whether the fact that the Sect Master of the Sword Sect used a blade was more surprising.
Fu Jinyue: Whatever, when soldiers come, send a general to block; when water comes, send earth to dam.
She engaged in a bout of commercial flattery with this Sect Master, adapting remarkably well. She had originally thought this social interaction would last for several hours. To her surprise, perhaps because the Sect Master was busy with many affairs, before long, Yu Feichen patted Fu Jinyue’s shoulder to take her leave.
At this moment, her smile remained bright, showing no unusual expression.
Before departing, Yu Feichen, who hadn’t mentioned the words ‘Heavenly Mandate’ from beginning to end, held Fu Jinyue’s hand and spoke a few words straight from the heart.
She first apologized on behalf of the several Sword Sect disciples, promising that compensation would be delivered in a few days. Fu Jinyue caught words like spiritual stones and magic tools, followed by an invitation for her to stay for a short while, with her food, clothing, housing, and transportation entirely covered by the Sword Sect.
“The spiritual energy here is abundant, which yields plenty of benefits for people of cultivation. Little Fellow Daoist Fu should stay to cultivate, so as to break through at an early date,” she said with deep earnestness.
Having said that, this Sect Master stuffed a cosmos bag into her hand, and then, just like when she had arrived, departed in a tearing rush.
Fu Jinyue: She flees so fast.
She vaguely recalled that the female cultivator who had led the disciples to detain her also seemed to flee at such a swift speed.
This meeting could hardly be considered formal. The three had originally been sitting around a cooling stone pavilion in the backyard of the residence, but unfortunately, within less than the time it took to burn a stick of incense, only two people were left. When Sinian and Siyan brought over the tea and pastries, they appeared somewhat dazed, yet they still lowered their heads and cast down their eyes to serve the items before quietly retreating.
Fu Jinyue held the cosmos bag given by the Sect Master before her departure in one hand, toying with it in her palm.
It resembled a sachet, small, minimalist, and exquisitely crafted, highly suitable to hang from the waist as an ornament. Seeing her turn it over repeatedly to inspect its exterior, Yun Heyin knit his brows slightly.
“You don’t know how?”
Fu Jinyue raised her eyes. “What?”
Yun Heyin said, “Fetching items from a bag. Did your masters never teach you?”
His tone was flat, his astonishment unconcealed. Fu Jinyue caught two layers of meaning.
First, this was an introductory-level spell in the cultivation world.
Second, any cultivator who had stepped onto the path of immortal cultivation ought to know it.
Yun Heyin maintained that same calm surface, his eyes harboring a secretive sizing-up posture.
Meeting his gaze, Fu Jinyue actually found it rather embarrassing.
It was as if she, a failing student who ranked dead last, was currently stuck on a difficult problem, scratching her head in frustration, while behind her stood a top student who scored full marks in every subject at some unknown point. Seeing her distress, the top student glanced at the question and asked with a bizarre expression: What, you don’t even know this?
Flipping her hand to display the sachet in her palm, Fu Jinyue lifted her hand to offer it forward, sighing with a smile, “I didn’t inherit many teachings from my master, and due to various reasons later on, I am the only one left in my sect. Thus, I truly do not know how to fetch items from a bag. Why doesn’t Senior teach me?”
Yun Heyin’s brow remained slightly knit, his expression cold, yet he still tapped through the air from a distance.
Fu Jinyue felt a certain formless force tap against her wrist. Their spiritual energies collided, guiding her to wander through her meridians. Suddenly, the sachet in her hand was no longer just a sachet; it was as though she had gained a third eye, allowing her to glimpse the large and small items stored within the space inside the bag.
Bottles and jars—all filled with medicinal pills Fu Jinyue didn’t recognize.
Guessing from the level of spiritual energy contained within the pills, there were likely no high-grade ones; they were all mid-to-low grade.
With novelty, she pulled the items out and put them back in, momentarily becoming so amused that she forgot her troubles.
Yun Heyin lifted his tea and took a light sip, still observing her silently.
Without raising her head, Fu Jinyue said, “Senior, stop looking. I truly do not recognize these pills either. No one has ever taught me.”
Yun Heyin’s expression grew increasingly cold, his brow tightly furrowed, faintly harboring anger. He opened his lips but pursed them again, seemingly wanting to say something, but ultimately suppressed it and remained silent.
This fury was burning toward her, but it wasn’t entirely directed at her. Fu Jinyue saw through it as clearly as a mirror. Halting her playful behavior with the cosmos bag, she said with a smile:
“You don’t know how to fetch items from a bag, nor do you recognize various medicinal pills. Your cultivation is so low that you can’t even compare to some mortals who possess a bit of innate spirituality. You have nothing to your name, a total waste. I truly do not know how you were chosen by the Heavenly Mandate. Right, Senior?”
She spoke his inner thoughts aloud for him.
She was smiling radiantly, devoid of even a shred of respect.
Yun Heyin detested this to the extreme, yet his fire was snuffed out, leaving him momentarily unsure of what to say. He merely kept his brow furrowed, cold as frost and snow.
Fu Jinyue said, “To be perfectly honest, I don’t know how the Heavenly Mandate fell upon me either. I do not possess that grand wish to save all living beings; I am merely a fledgling minor cultivator. I only hope that I can stay alive, hope that my sect can rise to glory once more, and hope that I am no longer the sole descendant of this path.”
These words were half-true and half-false, and her emotions were a mix of sincerity and deception.
It was entirely to flesh out her backstory.
As the girl spoke, she even lowered her head.
The hairstyle Sinian had braided for her was a flowing tassel bun, her dark hair half-loosed and half-bound. A blue-and-orange hair-pin step-shake was inserted among her hair. The tiny hanging pearls of the step-shake gently swayed beside her cheeks along with the tilt of her lowered head. Somehow, it dragged his gaze toward those eyes; those long eyelashes were trembling slightly, pitiable and obedient, as if she were about to shed tears.
Yun Heyin opened his mouth.
Fu Jinyue added, “I also know why Sect Master Yu departed in such a hurry. Seeing that my cultivation is too low and my knowledge too shallow, I truly do not resemble the person spoken of in the prophecy. Yet she cannot firmly decide that I am not, so it is also inappropriate to offend me. Fortunately, keeping me politely provided for within the sect, achieving no merit but committing no fault, is enough.”
From their very first contact, Yun Heyin had harbored an intention to test her. She knew this.
After encountering the Sect Master of the Sword Sect, Fu Jinyue became even more certain.
These two appeared flawless on the surface, but beneath their polite exteriors lay sudden, probing glances. Their gazes were half-hidden and half-exposed; hidden because sizing someone up was indeed discourteous, and exposed because a mere minor Qi Refining cultivator truly didn’t warrant absolute courtesy. They looked down from on high, inspecting every aspect, and finding every aspect inappropriate.
Fu Jinyue was also treated with courtesy at every turn, yet felt a lack of true courtesy at every turn.
Under this kind of gaze, she felt thoroughly uncomfortable. A certain sense of superiority—subtle yet genuine, which these parties took completely for granted—loomed over her. To put it bluntly, they looked down on her. It was as though merely slighting her rather than driving her out of the sect gate was the most polite attitude, and she ought to kneel and express her gratitude with deep appreciation. Bizarre.
Fu Jinyue: Hilarious. It’s not like I begged them to treat me this way.
System: Calm down, calm down.
When all was said and done, it was still because the rules of the cultivation world dictated it so.
The weak were meat for the strong, and the powerful were revered.
Fu Jinyue pressed the tip of her tongue against her upper palate, maintaining the curve of her lips to prevent her face from falling. She didn’t have any other thoughts; since the rules were this way, she would just watch and go with the flow. Since she had accepted this title, she wouldn’t self-pity over the trouble. Wealth was sought amidst danger, and she would try her best to reap whatever benefits could be gathered beneath this title.
Those who displeased her would be dealt with, and those she liked would be obtained; she had always been highly patient.
Fu Jinyue raised her eyes, the watery sheen in them evident, yet she closed her eyes to deliberately restrain it before continuing calmly, “I understand. You approach me because of the Heavenly Mandate, and you slight me because of the Heavenly Mandate. My cultivation is too low; in the cultivation world, I am nothing but a tiny insect, incapable of raising even a minor wave, let alone the so-called saving of the world. I also blame myself for failing to comprehend my sect’s cultivation techniques for a long time, descending the mountain too late.”
Yun Heyin listened for a long while, his face showing no change, before he opened his mouth to ask, “The sect Fellow Daoist Fu spoke of just now…”
He took the bait.
Fu Jinyue secretly curled the corners of her mouth.
She had guessed that the Stargazer likely only stated who the person of the Heavenly Mandate was, but had never mentioned, or failed to deduce, the fact that she belonged to the Hehuan Sect. Otherwise, given the reputation of the Hehuan Sect, the attitudes of these two would have been even more awkward.
“Yes, there is currently only me left as a descendant of the sect,” she sighed. “The cultivation techniques of the sect are unique. With me alone, it is difficult to cultivate, and I am afraid I won’t make an inch of progress in ten thousand years. But if someone assists me, I might perhaps be able to break through to the Mahayana stage before the world is destroyed.”
Never mind the destruction of the world; she didn’t even know what disaster the cultivation world was facing. Anyway, since she was bluffing, the words rolled right off her tongue.
In the cultivation world, the Mahayana stage was the highest cultivation level, and anything above that was ascension. Progressing from the Qi Refining stage to the Mahayana stage in a short amount of time?
Listening to this, Yun Heyin’s brow furrowed even deeper. “Unheard of.”
“It is indeed a fact, Senior.”
Fu Jinyue pointed at herself, her smile pleasant, finally revealing her true colors as she said, “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, I’m afraid I could advance to the Golden Core stage in three days.”
Yun Heyin stood up abruptly, his fair skin flushing with a faint tide—not of shyness, but of rage. His expression carried fury, his eyes seeming to harbor frost and snow. He stared at Fu Jinyue for a long while before squeezing a phrase from between his lips: “Unorthodox and rebellious.”
Seeing him curse in such a refined manner made it even more interesting to Fu Jinyue, and she added, “Senior, do not fear. I am not the type of person who relies on forced plundering to raise my cultivation or strips away others’ spiritual energy. What I practice is the ancient Orthodox Hehuan path, the path where ‘heaven and earth intertwine, and all things are transformed and generated.'”
She lowered her voice. “When two people assist and cultivate together, far from causing harm, it can yield refinement for each party.”
Yun Heyin looked at her as if looking at a lunatic, reprimanding coldly, “What arrogant talk!”
He was so angry that waves of red flushed his face, yet he continued to stare coldly.
Fu Jinyue paid no heed, waiting for him to brew his words. During this time, her gaze landed on the collar of the man opposite her, her look playful, as though she were parting his robes and reaching inside. She had originally thought Yun Heyin would fly into a great rage and rebuke her, or perhaps draw his sword if he were impulsive. To her surprise, after brewing for a long time, this man actually only left behind the phrase “shameless scoundrel” before ultimately flicking his sleeve and departing.
His figure gradually distanced.
Fu Jinyue, however, laughed out loud.
Carrying this title of the Heavenly Mandate was truly useful.
She now knew where their bottom line lay.
Supporting her head with one hand, Fu Jinyue picked up the teacup in front of her to toy with it, shouting toward Yun Heyin’s retreating back, “Hey! You all were far too boring earlier, each appearing polite on the surface while harboring hidden motives. Being vibrant like this is much more interesting!”
Having said that, she raised her tea and drank it down in one gulp.
The author has something to say:
【Initially】
Fu Jinyue: Does Senior want to assist and cultivate together?
Yun Heyin: Shameless scoundrel!
【Later】
Fu Jinyue: ?
Yun Heyin: !
【Finally】
Fu Jinyue:
Yun Heyin:
Although the weak are meat for the strong in the cultivation world, under normal circumstances, the righteous path won’t make their posture too obvious. It’s just that the protagonist is a person of the Heavenly Mandate and bears the burden of saving the world, so expectations are inevitable. After expectations come disappointment, and an unsatisfied expression naturally shows through their inspecting glances.
The protagonist is highly perceptive; she understands but does not respect it. She detests this point.
——.