Chapter 154 A Very Good Time Before the Storm

Feathers created a small world, and even with eyes closed, the darkness was tinged with a faint red glow.

At least for this brief moment, there was no need to think about anything else; it was enough to simply let go of everything. In a flash, it felt as if she had returned to her mother's embrace, warm and soft, just a stone's throw from her lower abdomen, bathed in a liquid-like scent that symbolized tenderness. The young man gently and carefully wiped away her tears; the smooth fabric of her undergarment rubbed against her cuffs, erasing the watermarks, as if wiping away her sorrow along with it.

She heard Shen Lixia murmur softly, "I really wish you could forget all your scars..." The boy's heart, which had just been filled with tenderness, was now conflicted. They were like drifting souls who met in the same river, embracing each other, and after the intense warmth, they still had to face the endless, biting cold.

After a while, Shen Lixia sighed softly again and placed her warm palm on Qiao Yanshen's eyebrows and eyes.

She was plunged into utter darkness—a haven of gentle comfort given to her by her lover, a place where she didn't have to think too much.

“But Senior Sister will definitely remember.” Her voice was slightly bitter, then relaxed. “Then I will stay with Senior Sister and use more and more good and happy memories to squeeze all these unpleasant ones into a corner, so that even if I think of them, it won’t hurt anymore.”

Experiencing happiness is easy, but forgetting pain is incredibly difficult. But as Shen Lixia said these words, she thought, no matter how difficult, she had to do it. Everything Qiao Yanshen had given her was precious, and it was commendable that she had shown her true feelings to him; she had to accept it firmly.

There is nothing more important than this.

The young man did not answer, as if he had already drifted peacefully into a dream amidst tenderness.

After an unknown amount of time, she suddenly spoke: "Since demons have infiltrated, then it must be a demon-detecting array..."

Shen Lixia quickly followed up on her words, saying in surprise, "But the spies had already been identified before, so Master and the others should have noticed the Demon Detection Array immediately. It should be fully repaired by now."

"That means the demon that infiltrated this time is special, unlike any other." Qiao Yanshen frowned slightly. "But if even the demon-detecting array can't detect it, how can we force it to reveal itself? Is the only way to test it with our lives...?"

“That’s the problem. If we kill the wrong person, Emperor Taihui’s reputation will be ruined.” Shen Lixia shook her head. “Killing one wrong person is fine, but what if we kill ten? This demon is cunning. If Senior Sister was really injured in the fight with her, she probably has the ability to erase people’s memories.”

Qiao Yanshen rarely showed such anxiety, "Then what should we do?"

“Let’s keep a close eye on it for now. Others might not notice, but Senior Sister has Luo Chuan’s demonic energy on her. As the source of all demons, she must be especially sensitive to demons. The same goes for the Divine Fire. As long as that demon is not careful, we can confirm its identity.”

After pondering for a moment, Shen Lixia proposed this plan.

Qiao Yanshen thought it over carefully and realized there was no better way, so she said, "Alright. It's just that I'll have to trouble you, Junior Sister, to worry about these things even when you're not competing." She always had a strange intuition that she was partly responsible for the demons' motives.

However, Luo Yang's memory was fragmented, and she couldn't remember what had just happened, so she had to put aside this ominous premonition for the time being.

Shen Lixia said, "Well, it's alright. One day she won't be able to hide anymore. And with so many Nascent Soul True Monarchs gathered here, even though the sect leader's whereabouts are unknown, he's on our side. Taihui is not an existence that can be easily overthrown."

Master said that we can trust them.

Emperor Huizong was an ancient and sturdy tree that had never been uprooted, even after enduring war. Therefore, Shen Lixia chose to believe Yan Xueya.

"I'll go see Master later and talk to her. Senior Sister, please rest for a while," Shen Lixia said. "How about we go to the Four Spirit Peaks to simulate tactics around dusk?"

Thinking of her master, she couldn't help but smile slightly. Suddenly, she pulled out the thing she had been looking for a while from inside her clothes and held it in front of Qiao Yanshen.

"Clang clang—"

Shen Lixia drew out the last syllable and softly imitated the sound, showcasing this precious "surprise".

There are two sword tassels, intricately woven, one red and one blue.

Her eyes sparkled, and she gently shook the sword tassel, smiling as she said, "My master made it, saying it was a gift for us."

Qiao Yanshen raised her hand, and Shen Lixia placed her light blue sword tassel in her palm. The tassel at the end brushed against her palm, tickling and warm, like ripples spreading across water after a feather falls on it, spreading through her heart. There were no precious gems or jewels, just cool, soft threads, carefully woven and tied into an ingenious knot.

No wonder some people often use a thread or a piece of wood to express their tender feelings. She listened to Shen Lixia muttering, "It's so beautiful, isn't it? After we rest today, Senior Sister, how about we go find a piece of wood together and make a small wood carving for her? If Senior Sister wants to make anything else, I'd like to help too."

She paused, then lovingly stroked the sword tassel in her hand, as if she would wear down its smooth, glossy surface and imbue it with her own scent in just a short while.

“Master has given us so many things, and sometimes I don’t know how to repay her.” As she spoke, her voice softened—it was already soft enough, but she couldn’t help but make it even softer. “Just like my senior sister has given me so much. She once said she was very grateful that I appeared in her life, and I am also very grateful that you all love me.”

Qiao Yanshen narrowed his eyes slightly, realizing that his junior sister was quite cunning. She hadn't been asleep at the time and had heard the whole story. Originally, there was nothing wrong with it, but when she brought it up again, he felt his heart beat slightly faster. He couldn't help but smile and turn his gaze away, his hand tightening its grip on the sword tassel.

Shen Lixia knew there wasn't much she could do right now; a small gift or a bit of attention was far less than what others had given her. Therefore, this competition—

She aims for the top spot.

Now that her cultivation level is at least equal to Qiao Yanshen's, her senior sister is undoubtedly the most powerful. Perhaps either of them winning would bring honor to their master. But she cannot think that as long as her senior sister is there, or as long as she wins the championship, that's enough.

Qiao Yanshen didn't need this kind of seemingly humble but actually condescending "concession." If she truly respected her, she should have faced off against her senior sister on stage again, and had a fair and square competition.

I will certainly live up to my teacher's teachings.

"This afternoon," Qiao Yanshen said, spreading his arms. "This afternoon is fine. I'll go see Master with you tonight."

Shen Lixia smiled and said, "Okay."

"And... I want to have a late-night snack," Qiao Yanshen blinked, "dessert or anything else is fine."

Although she no longer felt hungry after fasting, she still seemed to habitually crave food after being sad. Shen Lixia nodded and raised her hand to cover Qiao Yanshen's eyes again.

"I'll take a nap," she said.

-

"Here, it's finished."

As soon as Yi Xiaohan sat down, the sword tassel was pushed in front of her. She picked up the gold and red sword tassel and examined it from all angles, speechless with astonishment.

It's a different kind of arrangement, unlike the two coins given to the student; clearly, it took more effort.

She then glanced at Yan Xueya suspiciously, but the other party's expression remained unchanged, his expression indifferent.

"You didn't sleep all night, did you?" Yi Xiaohan asked with difficulty.

Yan Xueya raised her eyes, "Logically speaking, cultivators should gradually stop needing sleep after they reach the Foundation Establishment stage."

"This is different. Sleeping isn't just about relaxing the body; it's also about giving the mind a moment of rest." Yi Xiaohan frowned. "You already don't sleep much, and now you're not sleeping at all?"

The woman rubbed her temples. She looked rather haggard, her snow-white hair draped over her shoulders, slightly disheveled. There were many things to attend to during the competition, and although the Demon-Detecting Array was clearly repaired, the spy hadn't shown up, which was quite strange.

However, these worries remained unresolved, and Yi Xiaohan and Chi Yueying were aware of this, so there was no need to emphasize it further. In the end, she simply brushed aside the stray hairs on her forehead, sighed, and said, "Being entrusted with the position of sect leader and exercising the powers of the sect leader makes me uneasy."

Si Changxi left without saying goodbye, and Ruan Luoying left the sect to search for him, so the burden naturally fell on her shoulders.

Yi Xiaohan is straightforward and passionate; if someone tries to test or gamble with her, she's likely to overturn the negotiating table. She comes from a family of artisans, but she only has patience for things she truly loves. Chi Yueying is reclusive and the youngest of the group; the other four cherish her and don't want to put her in a difficult position.

Thinking of this, Yan Xueya shook her head, only wishing that Si Changxi would return soon. This person had been frequently leaving the sect since some unknown time; it was one thing to never see him on ordinary days, but this time he sent a premonition through the contract that his life was in danger, which was very worrying.

A cup of tea was suddenly pushed in front of her, followed by a plate of pastries that smelled of milk.

"You've worked hard." Chi Yueying smiled slightly. "Try it, Xueya." She remembered that Yan Xueya liked this kind of snack, and she also chose her favorite salty tea—tea made with milk and salted tea, boiled and then with a little sugar. When it was ready, it tasted like the tea that Yan Xueya had brought from her hometown.

Interestingly enough, many years have passed, yet she still remembers the taste of that cup of tea from her youth.

Yan Xueya hadn't been back to her hometown for a long time either. They were all like that; even if they went back, they wouldn't see their old friends. After so long, they only had each other by their side, making their relationship all the more precious.

After picking up a piece and tasting it, Yan Xueya smiled and said, "The craftsmanship is excellent." The tea and snacks temporarily relieved a lot of the pressure, allowing Yan Xueya to relax a little.

As she ate, she joked, "All the array cultivators outside want to meet you, Nine-Branch True Monarch, the number one array genius in the Nine Domains. Why not let them see your style?"

Chi Yueying blushed slightly. "No, that's too ostentatious."

She turned her gaze to Yi Xiaohan and found that he had already stuffed her mouth full of pastries. She was both pleased and helpless, and said, "Eat slowly."

Yi Xiaohan mumbled indistinctly, "Mmm... This is too extravagant."

I'm delighted to receive a flick on the forehead from Yan Xueya.

After some recent investigation, I have some suspicions about spies. Both internal and external disciples have planted informants to observe the behavior of certain individuals, compile lists, and send them here. Yan Xueya picked up today's letter, glanced at one of the names, and her brow twitched suddenly.

Qiao Yanshen.

Without hesitation, she picked up her pen and crossed it out before continuing to read.

At this moment, Chi Yueying suddenly turned her head to look outside the hall and said with a smile, "They've arrived."

It was already noon, and the battle simulation array on the Four Spirits Peak was activated, emitting a series of buzzing sounds that even reached into the hall.

There seem to be quite a few people.