Shen Qingci softly interrupted, “Just heading to Qinghe County is fine. My aunt and clan uncle both live in the East Market of the county seat.”
The oval-faced female cultivator understood upon hearing this and quickly curtsied, stepping aside. “Thank you for letting me know, Lady Shen.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Chi Yuan raised her hand to summon the Frostchill sword.
The biting sword light instantly soared into the sky. Behind them, the musical pagoda of Xiange City rapidly receded, shrinking into a tiny white dot in the blink of an eye.
At the city gate, six female disciples of the Miaoyin Sect watched the sword light disappear into the horizon.
The oval-faced female cultivator stood at the front, looking in the direction they had gone, a lingering, knowing smile still playing on her lips.
Beside her, a junior sister couldn't help but ask, “Senior Sister, why didn't you prepare a Wind-Riding Carriage for the two fairies just now? It's not like our Miaoyin Sect doesn't have one.”
The Wind-Riding Carriage was a flying artifact pulled by Tier 3 spiritual birds.
Equipped with soft couches and incense burners inside and protected by a windproof spiritual shield outside, it could easily cover ten thousand miles a day. When various sects entertained distinguished guests, unless it was an extremely urgent matter, they would usually prepare one.
The deacon senior sister withdrew her gaze and cast a sidelong glance at her junior sister. “And that is why you don't have a Dao companion.”
“Huh?”
The junior sister looked completely bewildered, her gaze darting back and forth between her senior sister and several other equally confused sect sisters.
“Senior Sister, what does this have to do with having a Dao companion?”
The deacon senior sister shook her head and spoke with deep earnestness, “A young couple riding a sword together would be pressed tightly against each other. Sword flight is fast and the wind is strong; wouldn't your partner have to hold tightly onto your waist?”
“If you were to stuff them into a Wind-Riding Carriage, they would be sitting upright on the couches with a low table and a tea tray between them... That would be completely tasteless.”
“Unless, they wanted to do it in the carriage...”
The junior sister froze for a couple of breaths, her ears instantly turning beet red.
The five female disciples beside them lowered their heads in unison. One pretended to adjust her sleeves, another looked up at the sky, and another cleared her throat twice...
Without exception, the corners of their lips were curling upward.
The deacon senior sister patted the junior sister's head. “Learn a thing or two. The Dao Discussion Conference is just for listening to theory; what I am teaching you now is the real deal.”
With that, she turned and walked back into the city.
The junior sisters looked at one another and followed her with pursed lips. Exchanging glances, none of them dared to speak first, fearing they wouldn't be able to hold back their laughter.
The Frostchill sword flew for four hours.
Shen Qingci slept while leaning against her senior sister's back. She woke up twice along the way and found that her senior sister had quietly set up a windproof spiritual shield, wrapping her up snugly.
Curving her lips, she buried her face back into the warm fabric of her senior sister's back and went back to sleep.
When she opened her eyes again, they had already reached the mountain gate of the Azure Cloud Sect.
The white jade archway stood tall and majestic.
The two outer sect disciples guarding the gate verified their jade plaques and bowed in greeting. The sword light crossed the archway, passed over the residences of the outer sect disciples, flew past sprawling spiritual fields and martial arts arenas, and headed straight down toward Wanjian Peak.
Just as the sword light descended, a female cultivator quickly stepped out of the stone pavilion by the mountain path.
She was at the peak of Foundation Establishment, wearing the standard robes of a Wanjian Peak inner sect disciple, with a small sword-shaped jade hairpin in her hair.
Catching sight of the two landing, she let out a sigh of relief and walked up to welcome them in a few quick strides.
“Senior Sister Chi, Junior Sister Shen, you're finally back! The Peak Master calculated that you would return to the sect today, so she specifically ordered me to wait here. She said you don't need to return to your abodes; go straight to the Sword-Falling Terrace.”
Chi Yuan sheathed her sword and nodded. “Thank you for your trouble, Junior Sister Qin.”
Shen Qingci's expression relaxed, and she likewise greeted her, “Thank you for your trouble, Senior Sister Qin.”
Junior Sister Qin waved her hands repeatedly. “It's no trouble at all, no trouble at all!” Her gaze involuntarily drifted to their clasped hands before she casually withdrew it.
Senior Sister Chi was a famously cold sword cultivator on Wanjian Peak.
Usually, her life consisted of nothing but sword practice, and she rarely spoke more than three sentences to anyone. Her fellow junior sisters privately called her “Senior Sister Ice.”
Yet at this moment, this “Senior Sister Ice” was holding her little junior sister's hand, their fingers tightly intertwined, with no intention of letting go.
Junior Sister Shen was the same.
Even with others present, she showed no sign of shyness, holding hands so openly. With her air of a great family's Eldest Young Lady, she didn't feel there was anything to hide at all.
In Junior Sister Qin's sea of consciousness, the novel titled 《A Few Stories About the Cold Sword Cultivator and the Eldest Young Lady Junior Sister》 automatically flipped to the first page.
So sweet.
Way too sweet.
While she maintained a proper smile on her face, her sea of consciousness was already in a wild frenzy.
【Wait, wait, wait???】
【The Peak Master summoned them so urgently, calling for them before they could even rest. Could she have noticed something unusual?】
Junior Sister Qin's smile froze on her face.
The Peak Master was always fair and strict, but she was extremely protective of Senior Sister Chi and exceptionally doted on her closed-door disciple, Junior Sister Shen.
If the Peak Master minded their overly intimate closeness and intended to stop them...
She secretly stole another glance at the two leaning intimately against each other. Chi Yuan held her hand firmly and securely, while Shen Qingci leaned slightly against her senior sister's side, close and natural.
“Junior Sister Qin,” Chi Yuan suddenly called out.
“Ah, yes!” Junior Sister Qin snapped back to reality, nearly biting her tongue.
“Why does Master want us to go to the Sword-Falling Terrace?”
“She didn't say, she didn't say,” Junior Sister Qin quickly shook her head. “But the Peak Master's expression looked no different from usual. It should... not be a bad thing.”
【No way, no way!!! Peak Master, please don't tear these lovebirds apart.】
Junior Sister Qin screamed silently in her heart, though her face still wore the dignified smile of an inner sect disciple.
Seeing her standing there without moving, Chi Yuan asked, “Is there anything else, Junior Sister Qin?”
“No, nothing! Have a safe walk, Senior Sister Chi, Junior Sister Shen.” Junior Sister Qin stepped aside.
The two walked side by side toward the Sword-Falling Terrace.
Junior Sister Qin stood on the mountain path and watched them go. Only when their figures disappeared around the corner did she clutch her chest.
Even novels wouldn't dare to write it like this.
She secretly made up her mind to reread her treasured novels tonight and savor this mutual sweetness.
In the side hall of the Sword-Falling Terrace, Jinglian was already waiting.
Her Daoist bun was meticulous, her indigo Daoist robe draped down to her feet, and half a cup of cold tea sat on the low table beside her.
She wasn't sitting in the main seat, but stood by the window, watching the sea of clouds churning outside.
Hearing footsteps, she turned around.
Her divine sense landed on Chi Yuan first, quickly scanning her spiritual energy state to confirm that her second disciple was not injured. Then she looked at Shen Qingci, checking her as well. Only after confirming that her youngest disciple was also safe and sound did her tense expression quietly relax.
“Sit.”
The two sat on the futons opposite the low table as instructed.
Chi Yuan sat as straight as a pine, and Shen Qingci also sat with proper posture, though her knees habitually leaned toward her senior sister's side.
Jinglian took in this subtle movement, feeling slightly surprised.
【They were only out for a few days, so why are they clinging to each other like this?】
She walked back to the main seat, sat down, and took a sip of the cold tea.
“This morning, Senior Brother Sect Master sent someone to Wanjian Peak,” she said, putting down her teacup. “He said A-Yuan injured Lu Beichen and demanded that I, as your master, give an explanation.”
“I had a miscellaneous disciple turn that person away.”
Chi Yuan lowered her eyelashes, not in a hurry to defend herself.
Jinglian did not rush her either, quietly looking at her two good disciples. “I don't believe his version of events. Tell me the details of what happened, from start to finish.”
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