Chapter 768

“What do you mean by ‘strange relationship’? I didn’t even know about this younger sister until a month after arriving in Shenjing.” Pei Ye shifted his sword to the other hand. “Back when your Grandpa Yue was young, he befriended the Dao Master of Shendiao. Yin’er is his disciple—we’d never met before.”

“So that’s how it is.” Li Piaoqing wasn’t concerned with the term “younger sister”—she’d caught the intimate nickname “Yin’er.” “—Where’s that trick of yours, where your sword floats beside you? So novel.”

“Haha, I just learned this this morning from an elder.” Pei Ye released his grip, and the sword hovered beside him. “It’s the Qi technique [Sword Tassel]. See? I don’t need to concentrate to control it, and the sword and I are one—anyone trying to steal it, I just open my eyes and wake up.”

“Who’d steal your sword?” Li Piaoqing smiled, poking the floating jade tiger with her finger. “Truly miraculous—like a sorcerer’s art.”

“But it’s too eye-catching.” Pei Ye smiled, taking the sword back in hand. “I only learned this one move—don’t know if I can learn the rest. They say it’s a secret transmission from the Eastern Sea Sword Furnace.”

“You used it when you first stepped into the pool. Everyone said you looked like a celestial.”

“Ah, don’t keep bringing that up.” Pei Ye still couldn’t accept the five characters: “Pei Ye Fan Club.”

Li Piaoqing smiled: “It’s really nothing. I was startled at first too, but then I remembered how many people in Bowang City admired me—just no one formed a ‘Li Piaoqing Fan Club.’”

Pei Ye paused, recalling: “Right—I remember when I joined the martial hall, you came to teach swordplay, and everyone welcomed you.”

“Mm-hmm,” the girl said softly, holding the sword behind her with both hands. “Those who can’t cultivate always dream of sword heroes, because they seem romantic, trustworthy—even if that dream is shallow and illusory, it’s still a kind of love, better than conspiracy, hostility, and hatred.”

“The latter is already too common,” she said.

“...That’s true.”

As the two reached the courtyard gate, they saw the yellow dress standing beside it.

He Zhao’ao dared not stand too close to the gate, fearing passersby would notice her; she dared not stand too far, fearing she’d miss Pei Ye’s exit and lose him—being left alone in a strange place was a nightmare.

She also dared not follow them inside the building, for she didn’t know a single person within.

So when Pei Ye and Li Piaoqing approached, they saw the woman standing elegantly and quietly three zhang to the left of the gate, beside a patch of pale yellow flowers matching her dress—she had positioned herself in the densest cluster, like an unnaturally tall yellow blossom.

There was no pavilion, so she held a small sword manual before her face, reading intently.

Her positioning was masterful—anyone passing normally by the gate would easily overlook her.

Yet her gaze was keenly alert; the moment Pei Ye turned into view, she immediately lowered the manual,

as if afraid the boy might miss her.

But the next moment, seeing the green-dressed girl beside him, she froze—almost as if she wanted to raise the manual back to her face.

But Pei Ye called out: “He Zhenchuan.”

He Zhao’ao lowered the manual stiffly: “Young Master Pei...”

She looked at the boy’s side, where the vibrant green dress radiated spiritual energy; Li Piaoqing smiled at her.

“This... this...”

Pei Ye gestured: “This is Li Piaoqing, my close friend from Shaolong Bowang—also the sect leader of Yufei Mountain. She came to Shenjing with the Tian Shan sect. Piaoqing, this is He Zhao’ao, true disciple of Xudao Mountain, third among the He Fu. Very skilled—I’ve been asking her about sword principles all morning.”

Li Piaoqing bowed with a smile: “He Zhenchuan, I’ve long heard your name. I saw you on the terrace just now.”

“I’ve never met you before,” He Zhao’ao bowed deeply, clasping her fists. “I, He Zhao’ao, lowly disciple of the Xudao Mountain sect, extend my master’s greetings to Lady Li!”

Li Piaoqing was startled, quickly waving her hand with a laugh.

Then bowed deeply in return.

Pei Ye said: “You should’ve recited the standard greeting for first meeting peers.”

“Oh.” He Zhao’ao blushed but didn’t repeat it.

Pei Ye said: “I’m leaving the Tian Shan villa soon—is there a Xudao Mountain group here? I’ll escort you over.”

He Zhao’ao shook her head: “I came by carriage.”

She hesitated: “If you’re not taking me back to the Sword Cultivation Courtyard, could you just bring me to the gate? I can find my driver.”

“I’ll take you...” Pei Ye paused, then smiled. “I won’t be back until late this afternoon. If I take you to the Sword Cultivation Courtyard, there’ll be no sword to discuss... you can’t stay there.”

“I can stay overnight. It’s fine.”

Pei Ye blinked: “Mainly... there’s no place for you to sleep.”

He Zhao’ao seemed to realize this only now, blushing: “Oh.”

“Why... don’t you want to return to Xudao Mountain?” Pei Ye seemed to understand.

“Because too many people visit my lodging... if I’m there, I have to meet them,” He Zhao’ao whispered, head bowed.

Li Piaoqing thought a moment, then smiled: “He Zhenchuan, why not stay here for a few days? I’ll have Tian Shan send a formal invitation to your sect, requesting you to give a lecture on swordplay.”

“...”

“Though there aren’t many familiar faces here, Tian Shan’s disciples won’t disturb you,” Li Piaoqing added. “If He Zhenchuan doesn’t mind, I could become your familiar face.”

“Ah... thank you, Lady Li.”

Li Piaoqing smiled, and the three walked toward the courtyard gate: “I’ll first take He Zhenchuan to a quiet little pavilion—absolutely no one there.”

He Zhao’ao looked at her gratefully.

“How did you two meet?” Pei Ye walked beside them, holding the kitten; Li Piaoqing asked He Zhao’ao.

He Zhao’ao thought back, honestly: “We met at an inn in Willow Town outside the city. Shared a meal, spent the night together.”

Pei Ye quickly interjected: “In separate rooms.”

He Zhao’ao looked at him blankly: “Mm-hmm.”

Li Piaoqing laughed: “Ignore him—he doesn’t know what he’s thinking.”

“...” Pei Ye glared at her.

The Tian Shan villa was indeed vast, but the girl moved with ease, leading He Zhao’ao to a secluded little pavilion—just by its location, one felt utterly undisturbed. Each step deeper into the quiet, Pei Ye saw He Zhao’ao’s expression relax further, until she seemed as at ease as if she’d returned home.

Pei Ye had never before seen such ease and grace on this woman’s face. Suddenly, he understood her nickname “Huang Yunxian”—only a lone peak, idle clouds, wild cranes could truly suit her.

Li Piaoqing leaned against the pavilion door, chatting briefly, then summoned a servant to make arrangements, settling the Xudao Mountain true disciple.

Then the two returned to the garden, back to the Sword Cultivation Courtyard’s seating—now bustling with people. Many, upon seeing Pei Ye’s face, instinctively stepped aside; others nodded with smiles.

Li Tishui had already left, leaving Pei Ye a note for their next meeting. Jiang Yin’er remained in place, still surrounded by many visitors. Though she wasn’t as fearful of people as He Zhao’ao, she too preferred quiet—now, as Shendiao’s true disciple, she stood surrounded by six or seven people.

Pei Ye couldn’t imagine how chaotic the voices in her mind must be. He left Li Piaoqing at the edge and stepped to the outer ring, watching the girl.

Sure enough, Jiang Yin’er spotted him at once. After brief pleasantries, she wrapped up her conversation and said formally: “Elder Brother, you’ve waited long—I’m coming now.”

Everyone turned, seeing the tall, solemn boy with no expression. They nodded understandingly. Jiang Yin’er hurried two steps to Pei Ye’s side.

The two left the Sword Cultivation Courtyard’s seating. Pei Ye tilted his head, smiling: “Jiang Zhenchuan, what was I waiting for? You lied to escape—I’ll report you to your master.”

Jiang Yin’er glared: “You lured me.”

“I just stood there. I didn’t expect ‘Jiang Daochang, who would never deceive her master,’ to be so quick-witted.”

Jiang Yin’er’s cheeks flushed—her tiny bit of dishonesty exposed, she was slightly annoyed: “Elder Brother, don’t ask me to practice swordplay again.”

But as soon as she finished speaking, she noticed a green-dressed stranger girl smiling at them from under a tree. She realized then that the boy had led her here from the start.

She reacted faster than He Zhao’ao, immediately composing her face and turning to look at the boy.

“I came to say goodbye—and to rescue you,” Pei Ye said, gesturing. “I’m going out now and will return to the Sword Cultivation Courtyard myself tonight. Don’t wait for me.”

He gestured with his hand, “I’m going out with someone now; I’ll return to the Sword Cultivation Academy on my own tonight, don’t wait for me.”

Li Piaoqing raised her sleeve in a fist salute: “To the White Dragon Jiang Yin’er—long heard your name.”

Jiang Yin’er blinked, raising her hand in confusion. Pei Ye felt embarrassed: “This is Li Piaoqing, sect leader of Yufei Mountain. We have some matters to attend to.”

Jiang Yin’er was slightly startled, returning the salute: “Lady Li, I... have long heard your name.”

Li Piaoqing smiled and nodded, but glanced at Pei Ye.

Jiang Yin’er studied the lovely girl—seemingly lively at first glance, but upon closer look, sharp-eyed, her gaze deep and calm.

At that moment, she realized she couldn’t hear the girl’s thoughts about her—and was startled anew.

“I’m far away in Shaolong—I doubt I have any great reputation to speak of,” Li Piaoqing said. “I haven’t seen Pei Ye in a long time, and I’m taking up his afternoon. I apologize for delaying your sword practice.”

Jiang Yin’er shook her head quickly: “No, no—we don’t really train together, just often use the same sword yard. Lady Li, take as many days as you like.”

Li Piaoqing smiled: “What would I take him for days? He still needs to train for the Feather Scale Trials.”

Jiang Yin’er’s cheeks flushed: “I... I don’t know what to do either.”

Because she couldn’t hear her thoughts, Jiang Yin’er felt an extra curiosity and fondness for this girl. She studied her with interest—if not for the boy saying he had matters, she’d have liked to get to know her.

To Li Piaoqing, this pure Daoist girl felt entirely different.

Ever since bearing the Heart Candle and Chunshou, most people’s beliefs and memories lay before her like a thin veil.

She rarely lifted it—time and effort were minor concerns; more, she believed thought didn’t merely guide action—action shaped thought in return.

If one grew accustomed to casually viewing the depths of others’ minds, then smiling at their performances, one would inevitably lose reverence for humanity itself, believing oneself a higher species.

Because she bore the Heart Candle, Li Piaoqing knew well these subtle dangers. She preferred using it to analyze herself, repeatedly reviewing her own memories.

Even so—even though the Heart Candle couldn’t capture surface thoughts—she now understood others far more easily. Her sensitivity to emotion had sharpened greatly; a person’s inner fixation or gap felt to her like a foreign object beneath smooth silk—each soul had its own shape.

Pei Ye had deep, deep fissures—running her hand over them made her heart clench sharply; all around were sharp or rigid protrusions, almost prickly.

Yet he also held the brightest Sword-Candle—like a roaring fire.

It was hard to imagine such a heart could behave so normally day to day.

Perhaps Chunshou was to blame.

Beyond that bottomless fissure, her own shape resembled Pei Ye’s—scarred and uneven, but each wound burned not with pus, but with bright flame.

This was a rare state. Today, in this Daoist girl, Li Piaoqing seemed to see the same potential.

Her Heart-Candle was pure enough to command gaze—her heart-poison’s hue nearly undetectable. Pure innocence alone wasn’t enough; only when fused with strength did it become Sword-Candle. Her Heart-Candle took root so deeply, it was as sharp as a blade.

Li Piaoqing almost saw the torment this pure heart would endure—and simultaneously, its unbreakable will.

So now she instantly understood why the boy’s affection for this “younger sister” shone so clearly. With quiet pity, she reached out and gently patted the girl’s shoulder.

Jiang Yin’er was startled, smiling back blankly.

Pei Ye said: “Alright, I’ll return to the Sword Courtyard tonight. I’m just handling some matters—you can go to that small pavilion and find Cui Zhaoye and the others. No need to stay here and be disturbed.”

Because he’d mentioned “Li Piaoqing” several times before, seeing them together now made him strangely uneasy—he couldn’t help dismissing her again.

“Understood.” Jiang Yin’er wanted to chat more with this “Piaoqing sister,” but sensed the boy’s discomfort, and obediently left.

“Got it.” Jiang Yiner wanted to chat a little more with this Miss Piaoqing, but seeing the young master’s discomfort, she left quietly.

“You must take good care of this younger sister of the world.” Li Piaoqing gazed at the girl’s back.

“I know.” Pei Ye understood exactly what she meant.

Now it was just the two of them again, and he truly felt more at ease. They strolled together toward the garden’s exit; once he had feared being alone with Piaoqing would be awkward, but now he realized it was only when a third person joined them that it became so.

He still deeply enjoyed these quiet moments alone with the girl—even walking in silence was perfectly fine.

Li Piaoqing likely felt the same. They left the guest pavilion and walked north along the street, without summoning a carriage or horse.

The sky burned slightly, stained with patches of warm gold. People and horses bustled, vendors packing up mingling with those setting up their stalls.

“The Divine Capital is truly beautiful. But the other day, when I wandered alone without a guide, I didn’t know what many places were for—I made quite a few foolish mistakes.” Li Piaoqing smiled.

“Whatever you don’t recognize, I’ll tell you. I haven’t been to the south much, but I know the East and West Cities fairly well.”

“Mm, so that’s why I brought you along—to be my guide.”

“There may be places I don’t know either, but we can ask around.”

Li Piaoqing laughed: “You definitely know—Master Qi said you just came out of there this morning, which is why I came to find you for directions.”

“...”

“I’m going to visit Prince Jinyang at the Bureau of Literary Revision. If you don’t want to go in, just bring me to the gate.” The girl said seriously.

She looked at him with a mischievous glint, but Pei Ye truly froze.