Azure Shadow
The days at Tingxueyuan passed by like flowing water, their surface calm and undisturbed.
Qi Yuan continued to tend to the immortal plants daily, behaving with impeccable decorum, perfectly embodying the role of a celestial servant who had become increasingly cautious due to the prince's reward. Only when the night was deep and quiet, and the garden's barrier weakened slightly as its master entered meditation, would she, like a true ghost, conceal her form and quietly explore the forbidden border areas of the Azure Mist Realm.
Her goal was clear—to trace the shadow of a crystal heart.
After several nighttime reconnaissance trips, she had roughly determined the location of the sacred "altar"—a floating palace perpetually shrouded in seven-colored light atop the Fox Clan's main peak, its outer barrier so powerful it chilled her to the bone. A direct assault was impossible; the only breakthrough seemed to lie with Jiu Che. As the Fox Clan's highly regarded second son, he undoubtedly possessed the authority to freely enter and exit certain core areas.
That morning, instead of carefully nourishing the flowers and plants with celestial dew like the other celestial servants, Qi Yuan casually broke off a fresh, dew-covered branch from an ancient tree nearby. A faint, ethereal light flashed from her fingertips, and the branch transformed into a simple yet effective spirit-attracting device. She inserted it next to a somewhat wilted "Star Pattern Orchid," and in a short while, the scattered spiritual energy around it was gathered, nourishing the orchid's leaves, which then unfurled and regained their luster.
This was the scene that Jiu Che witnessed when he stepped into Tingxue Garden. A small, barely noticeable scorch mark stained the cuff of his snow-white robe, and the clear spiritual energy around him carried a trace of the recently subsided fluctuations. His gaze swept over the clearly vibrant Star Pattern Orchid, finally settling on the simple spirit-guiding artifact in Qi Yuan's hand, formed from a tender branch, which had not yet dissipated.
Gardening in the celestial realm emphasizes gentleness and meticulousness, while attracting spirits requires intricate arrays. I have never seen such a... casual, almost "barbaric" yet effective method.
"Your Highness." Qi Yuan noticed the gaze, casually tossed the withered twig aside, bowed his head in proper etiquette, his posture impeccable, as if his unconventional act just now was nothing out of the ordinary.
Jiu Che paused slightly, his gaze sweeping between her lowered brows and the discarded twig. "This method is not orthodox in the Immortal Realm," he said calmly, his tone devoid of praise or criticism.
Qi Yuan raised her head, showing no fear like the other celestial servants when questioned. Instead, she met his gaze, her eyes calm, even carrying a hint of barely perceptible arrogance: "Everything can be used, why be bound by form? Effectiveness is the right path." She paused, her gaze falling on his charred sleeve, her tone abruptly shifting, carrying an almost blunt sharpness, "Your Highness's aura is turbulent, and your sleeve is stained with lightning and fire marks. You forcibly controlled power beyond your current realm, didn't you?"
These words were not words of concern, but rather a calm assertion that precisely pierced the calm he was trying to maintain.
Jiu Che's gaze sharpened. He had never seen such a... bold and direct immortal servant. Even if others could see through it, they would only offer subtle reminders, never so ruthlessly expose it.
“There are certain limits to crafting magical artifacts.” His voice was slightly cold, carrying a hint of displeasure at being disturbed.
"Measure?" Qi Yuan chuckled softly, a hint of seasoned understanding in his voice. "In the face of power, the so-called measure is sometimes nothing more than an excuse for the weak to comfort themselves. If Your Highness cannot even face your own condition with equanimity, how can you wield even greater power?"
These words were utterly disobedient. The celestial servant beside him was already holding his breath in fear.
Jiu Che stared at her intently. The woman before him was respectful in demeanor, yet her words were like unsheathed blades, sharp and piercing, stripping away the restlessness and unwillingness to admit the frustration he felt from his failed refining process. This feeling of being completely seen through made him uncomfortable, yet strangely... he couldn't refute it.
She possessed a kind of almost cruel honesty and confidence based on her immense strength, which was completely out of place with the gentleness and humility of the entire Qinglan Realm.
He remained silent for a moment, but instead of reprimanding him, he simply said, "Meddlesome." Then he turned and walked toward the quiet room, though his steps were slightly heavier than usual.
Watching his departing figure, a cold glint flashed in Qi Yuan's eyes. Provoking him, or making him think deeply, were both ways to close the distance. She needed him to remember her, not just as a docile celestial servant, but as a "different" being.
That day, instead of quietly completing her duties as usual, she went to the edge of a remote lava vein—a violent place that immortals usually avoided—to collect several "Earth Fire Crystal Cores" containing pure fire elemental power. Then she went to the herb garden, not to receive them, but almost "forcibly" picking several "Dust-Severing Grasses" with sharp golden energy.
The next day, when Jiu Che finished his morning lessons and returned to Tingxue Garden, he found that the white jade table he usually used was not filled with gentle words or elixirs as he had expected.
Instead, it was a dagger less than a foot long and of an unusual and ancient design. The blade was simply forged from a rough earth fire crystal core and was not finely polished, yet it naturally contained a condensed fire aura; the handle was wrapped with a tough, broken dust grass stem, the sharp metal aura of the grass leaves clashing with the fire aura, yet strangely achieving a dangerous balance.
Beside her lay a jade slip with only one line of text, written in sharp strokes, a stark contrast to her usual gentle handwriting:
"The fierce energy can temper one's spirit. Use with caution."
There were no titles, no honorifics, and the tone was even commanding.
Jiu Che picked up the rough yet menacing dagger, feeling the violent and pure power within it at his fingertips. This was by no means a tranquilizing object of the immortal race; it was a weapon, a weapon of malevolence! It was a "tool" that she had retrieved from a dangerous place in such an unorthodox way, and tailor-made for him.
He could even imagine how she walked expressionlessly between the earth fire and the sharp metal, casually seizing what she needed, completely ignoring the rules and taboos of the immortal race.
This style of doing things is brutal, direct, but damn effective.
He gripped the dagger tightly, its piercing aura stimulating his slightly weary mind, a result of yesterday's forging, bringing a sharp clarity. He looked up at the garden; Qi Yuan was facing away from him, casually flicking away a spirit insect trying to approach a spirit herb with his finger, his profile outlined in the morning light with cold, hard lines.
At this moment, Jiu Che clearly realized that this immortal servant named Qi Yuan was different from all the immortals he knew.
She is not a docile flower or plant.
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