Chapter 64: Winter

South Province, Shang Xuan Sect.

The Shang Xuan Sect is a top sect in South Province; a few years ago it could rightly be called the "Number One Great Sect of South Province." However, in recent years the sudden rise of the Qing Ping Sect has pushed it down a notch.

Nevertheless, the Shang Xuan Sect still ranks among the top five major sects in Yuan Zhou, South Province, and Tong Zhou.

After nearly twenty days of trekking, Zhao Xingyue finally returned to the sect before the Beginning of Winter and reported her team's situation to the sect.

Of course, she concealed Wang Wu's monster identity, saying he was rescued by a true‑realm warrior surnamed Wang, and thus narrowly escaped the clutches of the great demon of Si Hun Shan.

As for the Shang Dynasty royal tomb the sect was after, it had already been beaten to by others, and its most valuable asset—the spacecraft—had already been taken away.

Zhao Xingyue's words were not false; in fact, they were all true, including Wang Wu's "true‑realm warrior" identity. After all, Zhao Xingyue truly believed Wang Wu was a true‑realm warrior at the time, otherwise she wouldn't have called him that.

After a detailed report, despite the mission's failure, Zhao Xingyue still received the sect's commendation because she brought back a fellow disciple's life card.

Although the life stone had been abandoned, people have now developed something called a "life card."

This device lacks location and life‑death sensing functions, but it can store data from a period before the carrier's death, similar to a black box—primarily conversations and the carrier's recorded actions.

However, unlike a black box, this thing can be damaged with some probability, though the recorded data is virtually tamper‑proof.

It was precisely because she brought back this device and compared its data with the life card that Zhao Xingyue earned the commendation; otherwise it would have been a neutral outcome, though she would have received a modest consolation prize.

Lying is not easy in this extraordinary world. If the sect harbors strong doubts, they might even employ soul‑searching, but such measures rarely affect a disciple like Zhao Xingyue.

Because anyone subjected to soul‑searching is essentially rendered useless, and the technique doesn't always uncover the truth; moreover, this device also has countermeasures, making its practicality rather average.

Of course, Zhao Xingyue did not lie; everything she said was true, and the fellow disciple's life card can corroborate it.

She merely omitted some details, and her life card was fortunately destroyed during the battle with that Sheep Demon; the damaged card can still retrieve some data, but after destruction it no longer records new information.

Thus, combining her own life‑card data with that of her teammates, Zhao Xingyue naturally received the sect's commendation.

"Junior sister!!!"

After resting in her quarters for a few days—coincidentally the same day Wang Wu was waiting on the Guan Dao outside Wang Gu Lin for a human caravan to shop—an anxious voice sounded from Zhao Xingyue's room:

"Junior sister!!"

A man staggered into Zhao Xingyue's quarters, panting heavily, eyes on her, with tears still streaking his face.

"Junior sister!!!"

His eyes brimming with tears, he trembled as he shouted at Zhao Xingyue.

"Senior… senior… brother?"

Zhao Xingyue looked at him, opened her mouth, wanting to say many things, yet not a single word came out, because she had far too many emotions to express.

Guilt, anger, bewilderment, and panic.

But in the end, those emotions turned into calm.

"Senior brother."

She quietly gazed at the man before her, gave a faint smile, her tone just as it had always been between them.

"I'm fine, senior brother, I'm fine."

She whispered.

In her mind she recalled those days spent in the forest, the sensation of his hand gripping her foot, the feeling transmitted through her skin to every inch of her body; and the tremor that rose from deep within when her lips brushed his fingers.

That feeling intoxicated her, even led her to sink.

But now, everything, everything should end. Everything should…

At that moment, their gazes met, and in his eyes Zhao Xingyue saw a flicker of evasion.

"Senior brother."

Dodging his hand that reached for her, Zhao Xingyue said softly, "Senior brother, there's no need for you to worry so much about me; haven't I already returned?"

"Junior sister, I, I, I…"

Senior brother clearly noticed her gesture and lowered his head bitterly.

"I'm sorry, junior sister."

"It's okay, senior brother," Zhao Xingyue said, a faint smile still on her face.

"I heard, I heard that junior sister was rescued by a true‑realm warrior?" Immediately, senior brother sat at Zhao Xingyue's bedside, took a porcelain bottle from his Universe Sleeve, poured out a golden pill, and gently placed it into her mouth.

"I'm almost fully recovered; you should keep that pill, senior brother—there's no need to use it now."

She then continued, "A true‑realm warrior surnamed Wang rescued me and healed my wounds."

"Is he male? A man?" senior brother asked, stammering.

"Yes," Zhao Xingyue nodded.

"Then, then he, he…" Upon hearing he was a man, senior brother grew anxious, "He…"

But at that moment, a newly‑emerged voice cut him off:

"Senior brother!!"

The voice was crisp and lively, with a hint of coquettishness, unlike Zhao Xingyue's mature tone. Following the sound, Zhao Xingyue saw it was the junior junior sister.

A lively, sprightly girl, as graceful as a lotus emerging from water.

Their gazes met, and Zhao Xingyue saw a hint of provocation in her eyes, along with a victor's loftiness.

His gaze shifted back to senior brother, and under Zhao Xingyue's stare, the evasive glint in his eyes deepened.

Zhao Xingyue wasn't a fool; she could plainly see what was happening between the two.

Yet at that moment, not a trace of anger—or even sorrow—stirred within her.

"Junior sister."

Zhao Xingyue looked at the junior junior sister, smiled and nodded, "Did junior sister also come to see me?"

"Um… yes," the junior junior sister evidently hadn't intended to say so at first, but upon seeing her senior sister's smiling face, she hesitated briefly then nodded.

She walked over, also retrieved a porcelain bottle from her Universe Sleeve and handed it to Zhao Xingyue. "This is the Heavenly Heart Unbreakable Pill, which my father sent a few days ago. I don't need it either, so I gladly give it to you, senior sister."

"Thank you, junior sister," Zhao Xingyue said without reservation this time, accepting the pill and expressing her gratitude.

Seeing that the little junior sister and the junior sister seemed quite harmonious, the man's lingering worries eased a bit, so he seized the moment and said to Zhao Xingyue:

"Master, junior sister. These past days…"

"Senior brother." But before he could finish, Zhao Xingyue cut him off. She showed a weary expression, looked at the man and said, "I'm a bit tired, senior brother. I suppose junior sister came to you for something; why not go with her first?"

Having said that, Zhao Xingyue lay down and said nothing more.

"Senior…"

Looking at Zhao Xingyue, whose eyes were already closed on the bed, the man hesitated for a moment, but when he saw the little junior sister's gaze beside him, he nodded and followed her, leaving Zhao Xingyue's residence.

The door closed, Zhao Xingyue opened her eyes again, looked at the empty room, and her gaze gradually dimmed.

'It's fine, when the time comes I'll die with you, we'll be companions on the road.'

But at that moment, a voice suddenly rang in her mind, and immediately, the memories from over twenty days ago—those overstepping boundaries that had brought her ever closer to collapse—along with wave after wave of intense throbbing, surged from her mind.

It wasn't just the overly ambiguous interactions between two members of the opposite sex who had no intimate relationship, but also certain scenes she saw after her magical power recovered.

That guy never knew how to avoid impropriety—sometimes on a tree, sometimes beneath it, sometimes on the ground not far from the cabin, even just separated by a wall…

Zhao Xingyue turned over in bed, her body unnaturally curled, her legs tightly twisted together.

"Brother Wang…"

She murmured softly.

Outside He Dong Xian.

Wang Wu, who was riding toward Wang Lan's cavalry, of course did not know that several hundred kilometers away, a woman lay on a bed repeatedly muttering his name.

(End of chapter)