I Also Want to See What You Look Like.
“A fairy?” Jiang Xiechen naturally didn’t catch the exact nuance Wen Chiyue intended with that word. Pondering its meaning, she asked in return, “From the Demon race?”
“No, no, no.”
Jiang Xiechen knit her brows in deep thought. “Then… a Fiend?”
Wen Chiyue’s back stiffened. Realizing Jiang Xiechen’s misunderstanding, she couldn’t help but laugh. “No, not at all. It’s just a sword.”
She glanced sideways at the weapon, her voice laced with disdain. “One look and you can tell it’s not a good sword. All flashy and showy, just trying to attract attention.”
If it’s a sword, why call it a fairy?
Just as Jiang Xiechen was about to ask, something suddenly flashed through her mind, plunging her into a bizarre silence.
After a long pause, she remarked with an odd expression, “You sure like using mortal terms.”
The Cultivation Realm, Mortal Realm, Demon Realm, and Fiend Realm each occupied their own distinct domains, completely incompatible with one another. Among them, the Cultivation Realm and the Demon Realm were almost intertwined, whereas the Mortal and Fiend Realms were exceptionally far apart. Furthermore, since cultivators traditionally looked down on mortals, Jiang Xiechen simply hadn’t processed the word in that context at first.
Oddly enough, while cultivators avoided such phrasing, the Fiends, who were inherently wild and unbridled, actually took a liking to the mortal philosophy of “enjoying life while you can.” They frequently slipped into the Mortal Realm, thoroughly embodying their carefree nature.
Unaware of the deeper implications behind Jiang Xiechen’s words, Wen Chiyue merely spoke whatever came to her mind.
Shaking her head, Wen Chiyue thought for a moment and said, “Is that so?”
She kicked the items cluttering the doorway aside and said, “I don’t like this sword. It’s too ugly.”
“You certainly don’t mince words,” Jiang Xiechen said, stepping forward.
The moment she entered the secret chamber, the sword suddenly erupted with a massive surge of spiritual energy. Even from a distance, Jiang Xiechen could feel it vividly.
The spiritual pressure was incredibly potent, as if desperate to catch her attention. Without needing Wen Chiyue to guide her, Jiang Xiechen quickly tracked the direction of the sword.
While the surrounding desk was covered in a thick layer of dust, the exact spot where the sword rested was impeccably clean. Jiang Xiechen brushed her fingers over the hilt before pulling her hand back. “Are there herbs here?” she asked.
Wen Chiyue was practically dying of jealousy.
Even the Autumn Frost Sword had never been…
Well, alright, it had been touched like that by its master.
But the last time her master touched her like that was a lifetime ago!
Wen Chiyue walked over to Jiang Xiechen with light, swift steps, casually inserting herself right between her master and the sword.
The space between them wasn’t large to begin with. With Wen Chiyue squeezing herself in, the gap instantly became cramped. Not understanding her intent, Jiang Xiechen took two steps back to grant her some room.
Wen Chiyue successfully separated the sword from Jiang Xiechen.
She lightly tapped her fingertips against her own scabbard.
Swords inherently rejected one another. When two met, one had to submit, or one had to break.
There was absolutely no way Wen Chiyue would be the one to submit.
The sword on the table had once belonged to a grand master. After gathering dust for so long, it had finally encountered a sword cultivator worthy of its notice. Naturally, it refused to back down either.
The two spiritual energies clashed silently, locked in a fierce, covert struggle. Because they had to keep Jiang Xiechen from noticing, it required an immense, painstaking effort.
As a sword spirit, even if Wen Chiyue’s raw power wasn’t quite a match for the ancient sword, she was clever. Within just a few exchanges, she pinpointed the weakest node in the blade’s spiritual flow.
Jiang Xiechen caught a faint, subtle sound.
Though barely audible, she instantly identified the source and turned her head. “What did you do?”
Wen Chiyue said dismissively, “This sword is useless. A little nudge and it cracks. It’s not even as sturdy as I am.”
One had to remember she was still carrying injuries.
To be utterly bested by someone who was currently wounded, yet still claim to be an unparalleled, legendary blade, it was a disgrace to the title.
The completely ordinary, Autumn Frost Sword Spirit, Wen Chiyue, sneered, “And a weapon like this actually wants to fight me for the right to protect Master?”
Jiang Xiechen shook her head helplessly.
Even if Wen Chiyue truly couldn’t match this sword, she had no intention of replacing her natal weapon.
For one, it was exceptionally difficult for a sword cultivator to change their natal sword. Moreover, the Autumn Frost Sword had already birthed a spirit, possessing limitless potential, there was absolutely no reason to switch.
Secondly, the Autumn Frost Sword was a legacy passed down by her master. As far as she knew, the materials used to forge it were entirely unremarkable. Binding it as her natal sword had been a desperate measure forced by her circumstances at the time. A sword like that should never have been able to birth a spirit.
Unless there was a hidden secret to the Autumn Frost Sword.
Unfortunately, Wen Chiyue knew nothing about any of this. Instead of acting like a proper sword spirit, she behaved more like a stray ghost that had accidentally wandered into the weapon, merely claiming the title for herself.
Jiang Xiechen asked, “Do you recognize herbs?”
“I…” Wen Chiyue licked her lips, offering a slightly awkward smile. “Master can teach me how to identify them! I’m a very fast learner.”
Jiang Xiechen had no idea what kind of herbs were stored here, so she could only ask Wen Chiyue to describe their appearances while she searched for the closest matches.
However, the sheer volume of herbs in this place exceeded expectations. Jiang Xiechen resorted to saying, “Look around and see if there’s a herb with a blue stem, where both flowers and fruits grow simultaneously on a single branch.”
Wen Chiyue scanned the surroundings.
While the herbs of the Cultivation Realm were bizarre and came in every shape imaginable, a plant bearing both flowers and fruits on the exact same stalk was indeed rare.
Wen Chiyue dived straight into the mounds of flora, asking as she searched, “What does this herb do?”
Jiang Xiechen replied, “It heals eyes.”
“Huh?! Why are you only telling me something so important now?” Wen Chiyue puffed out her cheeks, feigning anger. “Master, if you’d told me earlier, I could have checked for you. Ah… what if we already passed by one? I didn’t pay attention at all.”
The more Wen Chiyue thought about it, the more she regretted it, wishing she could turn back time to inspect every inch of the greenery thoroughly.
Though she couldn’t see, Jiang Xiechen had her own methods of identification. Brushing her fingers along the base of the plants, she murmured, “This specific herb only grows in dark, damp places.”
Realization dawned on Wen Chiyue.
But that didn’t stop her from adding, “What if? Maybe there’s a stubborn one out there that insists on growing toward the sun!”
Wen Chiyue’s sharp eyes suddenly caught sight of a herb up ahead. It bore both flowers and fruits, tiny and nestled amidst a dense cluster of other plants. It could easily be missed if one wasn’t careful. Unfortunately, it was too far away for her to see the color of the stem clearly.
Lifting the hem of her skirt, Wen Chiyue carefully parted the surrounding plants, terrified of stepping on anything that might be useful to her master.
With a smile, Wen Chiyue said, “Once Master’s eyes recover, Jiang Qiao and the others will definitely be blown away. After all, my master is incredibly… beautiful.”
Wen Chiyue was very fond of Jiang Xiechen’s eyes.
The outer corners tilted upward ever so slightly, making her gaze exceptionally vivid, like a winding stream sparkling under the sunlight, a truly distinct, captivating charm.
The single crimson dot between her brows was the crowning touch, making her look like a being detached from the mortal world.
Sometimes Wen Chiyue even wondered if the Autumn Frost Sword had managed to birth a spirit simply because it spent so much time being gazed upon by those eyes.
Just like the flora and fauna resting beside an immortal, absorbing the essence of heaven and earth until they eventually gained consciousness.
The more Wen Chiyue thought about it, the more excited she became. She firmly grasped the herb ahead.
The stem was actually blue!
A flash of joy brightened Wen Chiyue’s eyes. She spun around, intending to present the herb to Jiang Xiechen, when she suddenly heard her master let out a soft murmur.
Jiang Xiechen said, “I also want to see what you look like.”
The words right at the tip of Wen Chiyue’s tongue were violently swallowed back down.
She gently reached up, touching the corner of her eye and her eyelid.
The color there was crimson. A deep, blood like crimson, even darker than the eye color of a Crimson Blooded Fiend.
The herb in her hand suddenly felt like a scorching coal. Wen Chiyue offered a strained, forced smile. “I don’t look good.”
Startled, Jiang Xiechen tilted her head toward the sound of Wen Chiyue’s voice.
The little sword spirit was usually brimming with confidence, firmly believing she was invincible. On any regular day, a compliment would make her tail wag right up to the heavens.
Why was she being so modest now?
Based on how others spoke, the little spirit shouldn’t be ugly.
At least, not by conventional standards.
Or did the little spirit simply have a unique sense of aesthetics?
Jiang Xiechen said, “You won’t.”
It meant that no matter what Wen Chiyue looked like, Jiang Xiechen would never hold it against her.
Wen Chiyue took tiny, hesitant steps back over to Jiang Xiechen. Her own mind was a tangled mess of conflicting thoughts, and in the end, she hid the herb behind her back, pretending there was nothing there as she moved to a different spot.
As she passed Jiang Xiechen, Wen Chiyue suddenly asked, “Come to think of it, the eyes of those Crimson Blooded Fiends are incredibly red.”
The sudden jump in topics left Jiang Xiechen bewildered. “?”
Wen Chiyue spoke rapidly, as if attempting to conceal something. “Are the eyes of everyone in the Fiend race that red?”
“Presumably.” Jiang Xiechen’s hand brushed against something, eliciting a soft gasp from her. Wen Chiyue cast a wary glance over.
It was another herb bearing both fruits and flowers.
Then again… given how massive this collection of herbs was, it made sense that it wasn’t the only one.
Jiang Xiechen felt the stem, then put it aside with a sigh of disappointment.
Only then did Wen Chiyue notice the stem was actually red. Upon closer inspection, the branch didn’t actually bear fruit, it was just a type of leaf that happened to look like one.
Wen Chiyue let out a quiet breath of relief.
Jiang Xiechen raised her head.
Wen Chiyue felt like a child caught red handed doing something wrong.
She asked, “Do cultivators ever have eyes that color?”
Terrified that Jiang Xiechen might misunderstand, she hastily added, “I just feel like I’ve never seen anyone in the Cultivation Realm with that eye color. It’s quite strange.”
Jiang Xiechen explained, “The Fiends have red eyes because of the nature of their cultivation techniques. Cultivators cultivate along the natural order, while Fiends cultivate in reverse. Their bloodline flows backward, which naturally manifests on their physical bodies. The stronger they are, the purer the color becomes.”
Wen Chiyue refused to drop it. “Is there really not a single cultivator with red eyes? That’s so odd.”
Jiang Xiechen nudged Wen Chiyue lightly with her foot. “Why are you researching the Fiend race? Have you found the herb yet?”
Being unable to see meant she had to identify everything by touch, which made her progress excruciatingly slow.
Wen Chiyue grumbled softly, “I’m just curious. Out of so many cultivators, how can there not be a single red eyed one? And… what if a cultivator accidentally gets born with a pair of crimson eyes? Even if they aren’t a fiendish cultivator, wouldn’t they end up being hunted and hated by everyone?”
“The world was never fair to begin with.” Jiang Xiechen lowered her gaze, her tone flattening out.
Only then did Wen Chiyue recall that Jiang Xiechen was no darling of destiny either, she too had grown up enduring countless hardships.
Wen Chiyue tightened her grip on the plant. Crouching down, she aimlessly rustled through the herbs to pretend she was still searching. Then, letting out a sharp cry of surprise and delight, she asked, “Master, look! Is it this one?”
She offered the herb to Jiang Xiechen like a treasured prize.
Jiang Xiechen took it, focusing her touch specifically on the stem, the leaves, the flowers, and the fruits.
Wen Chiyue watched Jiang Xiechen with bated breath, anxiety gnawing at her.
Is it, or is it not?
Wen Chiyue didn’t even know what answer she was hoping to hear.
But she didn’t want to watch Jiang Xiechen suffer anymore.
Like waiting for a sword of Damocles to drop from above, time felt infinitely stretched, making Wen Chiyue entirely uneasy.
Her lips parted, and she called out softly, “Mas…”
“This is the one,” Jiang Xiechen said, nodding slowly.