Just after the Mao hour, footsteps echoed outside the cave dwelling.
Shen Qingci was currently tying her sword tassel. The silk cord in her hand was a gift from her second senior sister yesterday, with a lightning-struck wood bead hanging at the end, sending a faint numbness through her hand at her touch.
She looked up at the entrance of the cave, unable to stop the corners of her mouth from curving upward.
She really came.
She could have easily asked Qinghe to show her the way and then had Shen Hanzhou fly her over on a sword. However, since her second senior sister had said yesterday that she would pick her up, she wanted to see if it was mere politeness or a genuine promise.
Chi Yuan stepped into the cave dwelling. Her robes were clean and neat, without a single speck of morning dew, and she carried a sword in her hand.
“Let's go.”
Shen Qingci stood up and followed.
The two left the cave dwelling one after the other. The ancient trees on both sides of the mountain path were dense and lush, and dew dripped from the branches and leaves, pattering softly against the stone steps.
After walking a short distance, Shen Qingci spoke up, “Actually, Senior Sister, you didn't need to make the trip yourself. You could have just asked any miscellaneous disciple to show me the way.”
“It's on the way.”
On the way?
There were only a few cave dwellings close to each other on Wanjian Peak, and the Dharma Academy was located in the southeastern corner of the sect. Coming from Chi Yuan's place required a massive detour. Shen Qingci knew this perfectly well, but she did not expose her.
This second senior sister of hers might look cold on the outside, but she was warm-hearted toward her fellow disciples at her core.
At a flat clearing halfway down the mountain, Chi Yuan stopped. She swept the Frostchill sword across her front, and it unsheathed itself.
The blade was frosty white with a hint of blue, and the surrounding spiritual energy condensed into a delicate layer of frost.
She was the first to step onto the blade, then turned back and offered her hand to Shen Qingci.
Shen Qingci took her hand and used it as support to step up. The blade was very narrow, so the two of them stood extremely close together—so close that she could smell the scent of pine resin and cold jade lingering on her senior sister.
“Stand firm.”
The Frostchill sword soared into the air.
The sword light pierced through the morning mist. The mountain wind rushed against them, sending the hem of Shen Qingci's dress fluttering wildly. She instinctively grabbed Chi Yuan's shoulder; the fabric beneath her touch was thin and soft, revealing the distinct contours of the shoulder blade underneath.
Sword-riding was not supposed to wobble, but for some reason, the Frostchill sword was flying rather erratically today.
First, it veered half a foot to the left, causing Shen Qingci's body to tilt along with it, her chest pressing against Chi Yuan's back. She quickly pulled away, the tips of her ears burning hot.
Before she could steady herself, Frostchill suddenly lunged to the right.
This movement was even more violent. Shen Qingci pitched forward, and only by wrapping her arms around Chi Yuan's waist did she barely manage to stabilize herself.
Chi Yuan's waist was slender yet supple. Through the fabric, her body temperature felt somewhat low, carrying a refreshing coolness that perfectly matched her personality.
“Senior Sister, your sword...”
“It's fine.” Chi Yuan's face showed a rare trace of embarrassment.
She looked down at her feet. The Frostchill sword was buzzing and vibrating incessantly; the little ancestor of her household was clearly throwing a tantrum.
Chi Yuan reached down to pat the spine of the blade twice, coaxing it gently, “Alright, stop fussing. Once we get back, I'll have the artifact refiner feed you some goldscale stone shards, okay?”
As soon as she spoke, the vibrations of the Frostchill sword instantly subsided. Even its chilly aura receded slightly. It flew smoothly and steadily, becoming so obedient that it seemed like an entirely different sword from moments ago.
Watching this unfold, a few thoughts popped into Shen Qingci's mind.
As expected, a natal sword really was a sword cultivator's second wife.
Is your sword more important, or am I?
If the sword and I fall into the water at the same time, who will you save first?
She barely managed to hold back her laughter, quickly lowering her eyelids to hide her amusement in the shadow of her eyelashes.
As they continued their flight, Frostchill flew steadily and swiftly. The mountain wind swept past their ears, dispelling much of the earlier awkwardness.
Shen Qingci composed herself and took the initiative to speak, “Senior Sister, your sword is incredibly spiritual. It should be close to advancing to the Earth-grade, right?”
“Close,” Chi Yuan replied. “I obtained a few pieces of goldscale stone in a secret realm earlier. They are Earth-grade Low-rank artifact-refining materials. My martial uncle at Artifact-Refining Peak said melting them into the sword would help nurture its spirituality.”
“Otherwise, I would probably be like the other sword cultivators on the peak, frantically taking on missions every day to earn spirit stones.”
“Uh... is Master like that too?”
“Yes. Even a Soul Transformation powerhouse has to regularly accept escort missions from the great merchant alliances. Sword cultivators burn through spirit stones quickly—tempering swords, repairing swords, and buying materials all require a massive fortune!”
After hearing this, Shen Qingci's gaze swept over the mountain ranges passing beneath them, and she suddenly recalled the cave dwellings on Wanjian Peak.
Though they were called cave dwellings, they were actually just stone caves hollowed out of the cliffside, lacking almost any form of decoration.
When she first moved in, she had assumed it was simply because Wanjian Peak favored a simple and rustic style. Now, she finally understood the real reason:
Could it be that they didn't choose not to decorate them, but simply couldn't afford to?
Or perhaps, any decoration would be entirely in vain.
Given the destructive power of a sword cultivator, practicing just a couple of moves in a cave dwelling could easily shave half a foot off the walls. Stone caves were durable and cost-effective; if they got damaged, a couple of slashes could patch things up. It was certainly better than watching a beautifully carved and decorated room get hacked to pieces, which would only bring heartache.
“Is that why all the cave dwellings on Wanjian Peak are just stone caves?” she asked.
Chi Yuan's eyes curved in a rare smile. “You are quite clever.”
“During my first two years, the walls of the stone cave I lived in were covered in gashes from sword qi. Later, Master had someone reinforce them with arrays so they wouldn't break so easily.”
Shen Qingci fell silent (*ﾟﾛﾟ)!!, thinking to herself that her own Yunqi Cave had probably suffered its fair share of sword qi as well.
Up ahead, the mountain slopes gradually leveled out, and the trees cleared to reveal a large square paved with blue stone slabs. On the northern side of the square stood a three-tiered pavilion. The plaque bore three large characters, “Dharma Academy,” written in neat, upright brushstrokes—a rare display of orderly style within the sect.
A crowd had already gathered on the square, mostly consisting of the newly selected inner sect disciples from this term's Disciple Recruitment Assembly.
The disciples stood in small groups, chatting quietly about their recent situations and asking about the sect's rules. Occasionally, a few individuals with arrogant expressions stood alone in the corners, clearly possessing extraordinary backgrounds.
Chi Yuan withdrew her sword light and landed steadily at the edge of the square.
Shen Qingci stepped off the sword and smoothed her skirt, instantly resuming her calm and composed demeanor as a lady of a great family.
“We're here.” Chi Yuan sheathed the Frostchill sword. Before it slid into her sleeve, the blade buzzed twice as if urging her.
Chi Yuan glanced at her sleeve, her tone helpless. “I know, I'll feed you as soon as we get back.”
She looked up at Shen Qingci, her gaze lingering on her face for a brief moment. “The coursework at the Dharma Academy isn't heavy. The first few days will mostly cover the sect rules and general knowledge of the cultivation world. Your foundation is solid, so it won't be difficult for you to handle.”
“Alright.”
“Then I'll head back first.” Chi Yuan turned around, but after taking a couple of steps, she looked back again. “If you don't know the way back after class, just have a miscellaneous disciple guide you.”
“Take care, Senior Sister.”
Chi Yuan waved her hand and took to the air on her sword.
The Frostchill sword transformed into a streak of white light that sliced through the sky, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye. Its speed was more than three times faster than when they arrived!
Shen Qingci stood in place, watching the direction in which the white light had disappeared, a slow smile spreading across her lips.
She had been wobbling and veering all over the place on the way here, yet she ran faster than anyone else on the way back.
【She's in a hurry to go back and tend to that “second wife” of hers.】
She turned and walked toward the Dharma Academy. The moment she appeared, the surrounding chatter noticeably quieted down.
The Moon-Grasping Flowing Celestial Dress she wore was bathed in a gentle glow under the sunlight. The sea-blue jade pendant at her waist was engraved with the word “Wanjian,” and the three sword scars on the back were sharp and distinct.
There were only a handful of such personal disciple jade pendants on the entirety of Wanjian Peak, making her identity easily recognizable at a single glance.
The first to notice her were the male disciples standing under the corridor. One of them, dressed in a brocade robe, nudged his companion with his elbow. “Look, quick! That's the new personal disciple taken in by Sword Venerable Jinglian.”
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