Sword

The sword engraved with the character "Frost" quickly transformed and grew larger at Kan Qiyuan's command, becoming large enough for someone to ride on and fly. The sword itself gleamed with a dazzling light.

This is Qi Yuan's prized sword: Frost.

"Let's go, junior brother." Qi Yuan's voice was soft, distant yet polite. She tugged at the sleeve of her sect robe, tentatively extended her left foot to lightly step on the Frost Sword, and then stood firmly on it with a sense of relief.

The moment the word "junior brother" was uttered, Zhu Fu's upturned lips instantly vanished. Junior brother? He sneered inwardly, still displeased, and stared at Qi Yuan's retreating figure with a sinister look.

I've only called him by his name once. Does that mean I'll only call him "Junior Brother" from now on?

Oh.

Dream on!

One day ago—

Your Excellency: Seduce her.

Zhu Fu: ?

Feeling a burning sensation on her previously cool back, Qi Yuan trembled violently, took a step back while gripping her sword, and almost fell over in shock, swallowing hard.

She frowned and exclaimed in surprise, "What are you doing?" A flash of astonishment crossed her eyes.

Zhu Fu's long, thick eyelashes trembled, like a butterfly fluttering its wings. He spoke with great restraint, his tone slightly innocent: "I can only share the same sword with my senior sister. The Zhu family has a bloodline suppression system."

He lowered his eyes and deliberately turned his head away, looking even a little aggrieved.

Qi Yuan couldn't stand this kind of expression. She was immediately at a loss and softened her tone slightly: "Junior brother, please remember to sit tight. The journey may be a bit bumpy."

She's the type who responds better to gentle persuasion than force.

She had indeed heard of the Zhu family's bloodline suppression, but in her haste she had forgotten about it, and now she felt ashamed.

She's very concerned about her image and can't tolerate the slightest mistake.

Since that's what they said, Zhu Fu pressed herself against the cold fabric behind Qi Yuan. The person in question was not used to this unfamiliar feeling at all. She tried her best to lean forward, but there wasn't much room for her to move forward on the sword.

She's so easy to fool. He thought to himself, "The Lord's mission will surely be completed quickly." Zhu Fu leaned closer to her hair, faintly catching a whiff of delicate orchid fragrance.

He couldn't see Qi Yuan's expression and didn't know that even with a cold face, she hadn't let her guard down.

If it weren't for the request personally given by her master, Qi Yuan wouldn't have done such a troublesome thing.

One day ago—

Master: I have entrusted someone who is suspected of being a spy from the demon race. You are the one I trust the most, so I will have you investigate.

Qi Yuan: ...This disciple obeys.

She hadn't expected that this man would come to her on his own initiative before she even made any effort to get close. His words and actions were indeed suspicious. All that was left was to stay by his side and look for clues—it couldn't be simpler.

The two men, one in front and one behind, both harbored ulterior motives.

Although the journey is long, fortunately, as long as she infuses spiritual energy, Shuang can travel quickly and reach her destination in just three hours.

Fortunately, the scenery along the way was exceptionally beautiful, so it wasn't boring. Her legs were getting tired from sitting in meditation, so she carefully moved her feet, trying to stretch her body as much as possible. Her body had just been injured and hadn't fully recovered, so sitting for too long would only make things worse.

As the bright moon rises and the twilight deepens to a deep blue, lanterns and decorations adorn every corner. In several courtyards, sparks fly as silver fireworks burst open, illuminating the night sky. The mountains possess a unique beauty, and in the hazy darkness, only the gentle breeze can be heard.

And the sound of their breathing.

Qi Yuan closed her eyes to rest, occasionally opening them to admire the stunning scenery—a pleasant option. Taking on commissions was far more comfortable than constantly staying in the sect to cultivate.

She wasn't in a hurry to expose Zhu Fu's true colors; she could afford to wait it out. Her intuition told her that this man was not simple; he was suspicious in every way, but she had no concrete evidence.

Even though her eyes were closed and the world was pitch black, images from her memories suddenly appeared. No matter how hard she tried to open her eyes, she couldn't, as an inexplicable force was suppressing her.

In the blur, one could only "see" the departing figure of the man in the snow-white robe, but the name Yun Xing was clearly visible above his head.

She stared wide-eyed in the illusion, her ears filled with a sentence from many years ago.

"Take good care of yourself."

Her blood rushed to her head, her fingertips dug deep into her palms, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Zhu Fu felt the person in front of him swaying slightly. He peeked over and saw that she had her brows furrowed and her face was full of pain.

Trapped in a nightmare? Trouble.

But since she was a girl after all, he didn't want to hurt Qi Yuan. After thinking for a moment, he gently pulled Qi Yuan's back against his chest and freed his hands to perform the ritual.

What kind of nightmare could trap a highly skilled cultivator so deeply? It must be an exceptionally deep obsession.

Seeing that his methods were ineffective and that Qi Yuan's body was trembling violently, Zhu Fu became anxious and quickly drew several talismans and stuck them on her clothes.

He wanted to infuse his spiritual power to alleviate her pain, but he was no longer a disciple of the righteous path and had no spiritual roots, so where would he get spiritual power?

Zhu Fu emptied his storage bag and finally found something useful. It was a divine artifact that could superficially eliminate certain obsessions, but only superficially. It could temporarily awaken a person, but it might not work on Qi Yuan.

He skillfully used the artifact, and after half an incense stick's time, it finally began to take effect. Qi Yuan's complexion improved significantly, and her body gradually calmed down.

He didn't know how much time had passed when he turned around and found that Qi Yuan had woken up, and he finally felt relieved.

Qi Yuan's eyes actually reddened, and she stared blankly at the sky.

Zhu Fu paused for a moment, then called out softly, "Qi Yuan?"

She snapped out of her reverie, rubbed her temples, and said, "I was set up."

She kept her right hand tightly clenched on the red bead on her wrist, and hadn't let go even when she was deeply obsessed, which caught Zhu Fu's attention.

Qi Yuan dragged her tired body to her feet, almost falling again, her voice hoarse: "Thank you, now I owe you another favor."

Zhu Fu's expression wasn't good, and he asked suspiciously, "What happened to you being tricked? Could it be those idiots from the demon race?!"

"This is what I was going to say. Logically speaking, with my current level of cultivation, I shouldn't be trapped in a nightmare. But I was just resting with my eyes closed when I felt my eyelids getting heavier and heavier, and I couldn't lift them at all. There was a force controlling my consciousness, as if pushing me into an abyss."

She unfolded the spirit pill in her left palm: "I fell into this obsession because of this evil thing. This is a spirit pill from Tiangui Mountain. I have already checked its aura. It was deliberately inserted into Lingguang Pavilion. That person must have had great magical power, yet I did not notice it at all."

But it definitely wasn't Zhu Fu. She could guarantee that. Even if he staged it himself to gain her trust, that would be too much trouble.

Who on earth would go to such lengths to kill her?

Zhu Fu took the spirit pill, which still retained ghostly energy. He had read about it in ancient books; such spirit pills were made from the fruit of a plant that was common in the ghost realm. Ghosts would not feel any pain or itch after eating them, treating them as ordinary fruit. However, for cultivators or humans, simply carrying them would have an effect; just sensing their aura would harm their bodies.

A single-handed mantra pill couldn't possibly harm a Nascent Soul cultivator like Qi Yuan. The important thing isn't the mantra pill itself, but the cultivation level of the person who passed it through the second hand.

That old man was part of the Venerable One's plan, specially arranged by him. But how does Nianwan explain that? The plan has changed. Besides him, there are others who have designs on Qi Yuan.

...and it may not necessarily be a person.

Feeling the pressure in his mind, Zhu Fuma immediately transmitted a message to the Venerable One through his divine sense.

He couldn't help but sneer inwardly, thinking, "What kind of bullshit 'Lord' actually treats me like a loyal dog?"

Yun Xingjun...Yinzhu Sect.

Qi Yuan shook her head, banishing all this nonsense to the winds, and tried to think of something happy. What could possibly be considered happy?

Enjoying the scenery counts too.

As dawn broke, it meant they were not far from their destination. The two had not rested well on their journey and were utterly exhausted.

The sky is a beautiful golden hue, tinged with white. Vines entwine the trees, and cranes fly across the horizon, tracing graceful arcs. Mountain peaks rise like swords straight into the clouds.

The destination sign is already visible from this distance. Finally, I can rest… Qi Yuan extended a finger, from which tiny sparks flew.

A huge weight was lifted off my shoulders.

She lay flat on the bed, rolling around on the blanket, afraid to make too much noise, lest Zhu Fu next door hear her.

So tired.

I miss my parents so much.

She buried her head in the blankets, her tears soaking the sheets.

It was cool inside, but it was the middle of the month and very hot outside. Qi Yuan didn't get up until noon.

She made sure she looked perfectly presentable before standing up and leaving the room.

Zhu Fu lived right next door; she could see him as soon as she opened the door. He looked like he had been waiting for quite some time. Zhu Fu leaned against the wall, arms crossed, eyes closed, waiting quietly. His ponytail swayed in the breeze. He was already handsome, and the scene was truly pleasing to the eye.

Qi Yuan watched him quietly, then coughed lightly as a reminder: "Sorry to keep you waiting, Junior Brother." She moved her arms slightly, smoothing out any wrinkles on her sleeves.

"What would you like to eat?" Even though cultivators had long since abstained from grains, Qi Yuan still asked out of politeness. To be honest, she hadn't eaten any whole grains in a long time.

"Look at you." Zhu Fu smiled, tilted his head slightly, and stared at her intently, appearing completely obedient.

"Alright. Let's find a small shop." She was a little surprised. Was this obedient person really the same arrogant and wicked Zhu Fu from before?

Zhu Fu's transformation in such a short time was so dramatic that Qi Yuan would have suspected he had been possessed if he hadn't been constantly within her sight.

However, it's always better to be obedient, as it saves a lot of unnecessary trouble.

Qi Yuan's steps were much lighter than usual, perhaps because she had rested well. She was in a good mood, but she didn't show it. Qi Yuan also looked back to see if Zhu Fu was keeping up, and slowed her pace slightly.

"May I call you by your name?" Zhu Fu suddenly asked this nonsensical question.

Qi Yuan paused, a little bewildered, and hesitated for a few seconds before saying, "Okay." She hadn't received much help from Da Zhu to begin with, and it was possible that she was only a few months short.

Was this person actually calling her name the whole time?

Zhu Fu simply smiled, his voice tinged with a hint of triumph, and said meaningfully, "Just call me Zhu Fu. Qi Yuan." He emphasized the last two words.

He couldn't help but grit his teeth inwardly. Why did this woman always have such a cold face? He never saw much change in her expression.

Zhu Fu quickly became smug again. With his looks and talent, he was absolutely confident that he could complete the mission perfectly. He was quite self-assured.

Every now and then, women from the demon race would pester him, but unfortunately, he didn't like any of them. He even wondered if his sexual orientation was abnormal.

Even though Qi Yuan found it a bit strange—cultivators all respected sect rules and addressed each other as fellow disciples—it seemed that Zhu Fu had been particularly insistent on the form of address from the very beginning. But after thinking it over, she felt that it was normal to address each other by name, so she nodded slightly and said, "Zhu Fu."

Since neither of them was familiar with the place, they wandered around aimlessly like two headless flies. Even Qi Yuan hadn't been here many times.

The two stopped in front of an inn, looked around for a while, and then chose a relatively clean table to sit down at. It seemed to be called "Wang's Restaurant," and the four characters were carved on the table and chairs. They then shifted their attention to the menu carved on the wall.

Qi Yuan asked Zhu Fu in a low voice what he wanted to eat, but in the end she got nothing but replies like "It depends on you" and "I'm fine with anything," and she couldn't get any useful information from them at all!

Fortunately, she had enough spirit stones on her, so Qi Yuan waved her hand and ordered all the dishes that were free of spice, garlic, scallions, and ginger.

Yes, she is a picky eater.

However, since the disciples in the sect used to cook elaborate dishes with all sorts of seasonings, she didn't want to disappoint them, so she had no choice but to force herself to eat it.

Presumably, even if Zhu Fu had dietary restrictions, those restrictions would include spicy foods like garlic, scallions, and ginger.

Accepting commissions meant she wouldn't have to deal with the sect's tedious affairs, and especially wouldn't have to see that annoying figure.

"Here you are!" The shopkeeper was a burly man who looked very kind, and his loud voice reached Qi Yuan and Zhu Fu's ears.

The dishes are diverse, and the plates are arranged one after another without any apparent order, yet they don't look cluttered. This little shop is unassuming, but it has an inexplicable warmth to it.

The food was delicious, a welcome surprise for these two who hadn't eaten in a long time. They ate with increasing relish, speeding up their meals, though their deep-seated upbringing prevented them from wolfing it down.

Zhu Fu picked up a handkerchief to wipe his mouth and casually asked, "Do you have someone you care about?" He didn't know why he asked the question, and regretted it as soon as it left his mouth.

Yes, he must have asked that because of the mission.

This question made Qi Yuan ponder for a moment. She thought of two people, hesitated, and finally answered hesitantly, "Yes, the disciples of the Silver Bamboo Sect are all people I care about."

As the senior disciple, Qi Yuan naturally wanted to protect all her fellow disciples from any harm. This was her duty.

What if some of them aren't worth your attention? Zhu Fu originally wanted to ask Qi Yuan, but she didn't say it out loud.

Even though some people aren't worth it for me to do this. Qi Yuan didn't say it aloud, but just thought it silently in her heart.

"You little slut, I'll fuck you to death!"