Chapter 78: Is the Ling Jian Master Catching Another Cold? (Seeking First Subscription or 2)

Since the immortal light began surging from the ruin, Yan Kuangcheng Yan Shuyi had remained here, determined to discern the full scope of the matter.

Then she saw the demon cultivator ascend, saw Ji You and "his fiancée," then watched him break through his realm with a single sword swing, and saw him fight Senior Min Cheng alone.

During this time, Zhuo Zhuo Wanqiu and Ding Yao had stood silently behind her.

Because she had prepared herself mentally beforehand, Zhuo Zhuo Wanqiu noticed many subtle details during the process.

At the moment the demon cultivator ascended, the Ling Jian Master's entire aura became unnaturally sharp; though standing below, her exquisitely beautiful features bore an air of condescending scrutiny, and a martial spirit bloomed in her bright, luminous eyes.

She had seen this Ling Jian Master many times before.

At the mountain gate initiation ceremony of Lingjian Mountain, at the Immortal-Seeking Gathering.

Back then, the Ling Jian Master always arrived in a red robe, her glance alone capable of stunning all who saw her, yet distant from the world, never smiling, her emotions unreadable.

But when a figure entered the city, she suddenly noticed the Ling Jian Master's eyes had come alive.

Her vermilion lips parted slightly, as if wanting to say something, then quickly pressed shut again.

Because at that moment, a woman had arrived beside Ji You.

Then came the alley fight—she saw the Ling Jian Master several times unconsciously arch her full, rounded chest, her gaze filled with a quiet, proud emotion.

Especially when he broke through his realm, it was most obvious.

And when Senior Min Cheng was defeated, she noticed Ding Yao reaching for her sword, so she immediately pressed her hand down to stop her.

She had confirmed it: Ji You held a special place in the Ling Jian Master's heart.

But when she whispered to Ding Yao, she didn't spell it out—only said, "You can't provoke him."

Ding Yao didn't understand at first, but seeing the fierce warning in Zhuo Zhuo Wanqiu's eyes, she finally withdrew her hand.

Senior Min Cheng had indeed long sought to become her cultivation partner, but it was really to curry favor with the Qiwu Sect's direct disciple—her own intentions were no different.

Though their young mistress now governed the Lingjian, Lingjian Peak still lacked the deep roots of Tianjian Peak.

To secure the position of Sect Leader, she needed support from other immortal sects.

Her closeness to Senior Min Cheng was also meant to get ahead in contacting the most likely ally—the Qiwu Sect—and seize the initiative.

But as for any real affection between them, it was shallow—so upon hearing Zhuo Zhuo Wanqiu's warning, she decided to wait and observe.

"Shall I announce your arrival to the Ling Jian Master?"

"No, he's just someone I happened to meet on the road."

Yan Kuangcheng Yan Shuyi spoke calmly, then as the three were about to pass the tavern, she suddenly frowned and flicked the silver ingot she'd been clutching—

Zhuo Zhuo Wanqiu was stunned, noticing the Ling Jian Master had narrowed her eyes, her face clearly saying, "I didn't mean to."

Then Ding Yao heard the words "Yuan Caiwei sister," her heart trembled, and she looked gratefully at Zhuo Zhuo Wanqiu.

She assumed the "him" Zhuo Zhuo Wanqiu meant was "her"—the woman who accompanied Ji You.

Yuan Yuan Caiwei also paused, looking up in surprise: "So it's the young Ling Jian Master. Yuan Yuan Caiwei of Danzong greets you."

"This isn't on the mountain, Yuan Caiwei-sister, no need for formalities."

Yan Kuangcheng Yan Shuyi turned to Ji You: "Who is this ordinary stranger?"

Ji You: "?"

Yuan Yuan Caiwei glanced at Ji You: "He's Ji You, a disciple of Little Tian Shu Tian Shuyuan. I was in danger on Qiling and owed my escape to him."

"What a kind man."

Yan Kuangcheng Yan Shuyi stared at Ji You for a long time, then her pink lips parted.

To her, Ji You was merely a man she'd met by chance during cultivation, and encountered once more after descending the mountain.

Though they'd conversed pleasantly, there was no deeper connection.

When Zhuo Zhuo Wanqiu mentioned he had a fiancée, the young Ling Jian Master had merely replied coolly, saying she wanted to see what sort of woman she was.

But what puzzled her was why, with a fiancée, he kept staring at her feet—and even pinched her cheek.

She had thrown the silver ingot, as expected drawing Ji You's attention—but now, seeing the two of them together, she didn't know what to say.

Zhuo Zhuo Wanqiu stepped forward: "Shall I invite them to drink tea in the courtyard?"

Yan Kuangcheng Yan Shuyi shook her head, then turned to Yuan Yuan Caiwei: "To risk your life to save him shows deep affection—no doubt he's exhausted. When do you plan to marry him? I'll send a wedding gift."

Yuan Yuan Caiwei froze at Yan Kuangcheng Yan Shuyi's question, blushing furiously and waving her hands: "You misunderstand, Ling Jian Master—I've only just met him. He's a friend of my younger brother's, sent by him to rescue me."

Ji You frowned too: "Why does everyone keep spreading nonsense? Don't you want to live?"

"No need to be shy—romance between young people is only natural."

"That's true—if he really were, why would I hide it?"

"..."

"Then why not all come to my courtyard for tea?"

Yan Kuangcheng Yan Shuyi suddenly spun around, her footsteps tapping as she descended the stairs.

For the past few days in Qiling Town, the young Ling Jian Master of Lingjian Mountain had been staying in a quiet courtyard behind the tavern—now she extended a sincere invitation.

Zhuo Zhuo Wanqiu held her breath, as if tasting something delicious, and followed immediately.

Only Ding Yao, confused by the Ling Jian Master's sudden coldness and warmth, couldn't tell the woman's true identity.

Soon the group arrived at the courtyard behind the tavern and sat before a stone table beneath a cassia tree.

As Ji You sat down, he felt his right foot lightly stepped on.

He looked up—Yan Kuangcheng Yan Shuyi acted as if nothing had happened, instructing Ding Yao and Zhuo Zhuo Wanqiu to serve tea to the three.

Yuan Yuan Caiwei accepted the tea and thanked her, then asked: "Ling Jian Master, do you know what happened in the mountains?"

Yan Kuangcheng Yan Shuyi waved her hand, releasing a beam of immortal light to seal off the surroundings: "A demon cultivator used the spiritual essence of cultivators as elixir, refining the mountain's immortal energy to defy heaven and ascend—ultimately perishing under the Nine Heavens' thunder."

"Who was this demon?"

"His identity remains unconfirmed, but when Zhuo Zhuo Wanqiu tracked the missing disciples, she captured a man named Chen Qinghe. His ancestral surname was Zheng—I traced it to the Zheng family and suspect it's their patriarch."

Yan Kuangcheng Yan Shuyi added: "The Hongshan Mine once belonged to the Zheng family. Beneath their ancestral home lie many evil seeds."

Zhuo Zhuo Wanqiu couldn't help speaking up: "The Zheng family likely stumbled into the ruin via the Hongshan Mine, gained the so-called immortal fortune, accidentally released countless evil seeds, and drew the attention of immortal sects. Their patriarch, on the verge of death, seized the opportunity and chose to refine humans to ascend."

Ji You frowned, looking at Yan Kuangcheng Yan Shuyi: "Is the Zheng family a noble house?"

Yuan Yuan Caiwei turned to Ji You, surprised.

Because by custom, when a group sits together, even when asking questions, one chooses the closest person.

She didn't understand why Ji You asked Yan Kuangcheng Yan Shuyi instead of her—especially since the young Ling Jian Master of Lingjian Mountain was famously cold, unlikely to speak to strangers.

Ding Yao thought the same.

As the young Ling Jian Master's former personal maid, she knew her mistress intimately—and couldn't help a faint sneer.

She knew Ji You was merely an outer-disciple of Little Tian Shu Tian Shuyuan—without the woman accompanying him, he'd never have been offered tea by the Ling Jian Master.

But unexpectedly, Yan Kuangcheng Yan Shuyi placed both hands on the table: "The Zheng family is one of the largest noble houses in Zhongzhou. During the Chaos Era, they were the former imperial clan. You don't even know this?"

"Then who is the Zheng patriarch?"

"He was the previous head of the Zheng family, a disciple of the Chen Clan of Immortals, and elder brother of the current Sect Leader, Chen Chen Ruhai. Decades ago, they were known as the Twin Wonders of the Chen Clan, both reaching the peak of the Upper Five Realms. But Chen Chen Ruhai was the direct heir and inherited the Chen Clan's Dao heritage."

Ji You pondered long: "But the one who probed Yuan's soul was an Immortal-Ascending cultivator."

Yan Kuangcheng Yan Shuyi nodded obediently: "That's what I found too—so there must be something in Qiling that bypasses Dao heritage and allows direct ascension. What do you think?"

Beside her, Ding Yao pursed her lips, thinking: I think the Ling Jian Master's voice sounds a bit hoarse—like she caught a cold.

Ji You clenched his fist on the table, sensing something wrong, and turned to Yuan Yuan Caiwei: "Yuan, you spent many days in the mountains, had direct contact with them—did you see any infants?"

"Infants? No..."

"Not a single one?"

"Though part of my memory is hazy, I'm certain I saw no infants."

Ji You fell silent for a long time, thinking: This makes even less sense.

If, as Zhuo Zhuo Wanqiu said, it was a coincidence—the ruin opened, the immortal fortune was seized, evil seeds released, drawing the sects' attention, and the patriarch seized the chance to ascend—

Then where were the infants?

It couldn't be that everything else fit perfectly, yet one useless thread remained dangling.

He racked his brain but found no answer—the information he had was deep and shallow, seemingly ordered but fundamentally chaotic.

Yan Kuangcheng Yan Shuyi turned again to Yuan Yuan Caiwei: "One more thing—how could the demon cultivator refine cultivators' spiritual essence into elixir? Does Danzong have such an elixir technique?"

"The Ancient Scrolls do record such a method, but no alchemist in centuries has ever achieved it."

"Why?"

"Because they lack the Karma Fire—a primordial flame ignited by resentment, capable of refining all living beings. But what resentment truly is, no one knows."

Yan Kuangcheng Yan Shuyi looked thoughtfully at Ji You: "I heard Lingjian Mountain clashed with Little Tian Shu Tian Shuyuan in the ruin. You showed mercy to my sect's disciples—why?"

Hearing this, Yuan Yuan Caiwei suddenly understood.

No wonder Yan Kuangcheng Yan Shuyi was willing to speak with him—there was this debt of kindness.

Ding Yao's face darkened, worried he'd reveal the forest robbery.

Ji You stared at her flawless, pale face, feeling a sudden urge to pinch it.

This girl's gotten addicted to pretending she doesn't know him...

"At the critical moment when my Little Tian Shu brethren faced death, I was ready to kill—but unfortunately, I chose the wrong weapon in haste."

Ji You summoned a black thorn from his gourd, gazing at it with the tenderness one reserves for a beloved pet: "This was given to me by an immortal lady before she left, as a last resort for survival. So when I struck, I hesitated—I didn't want to kill someone she cared for."

Yan Kuangcheng Yan Shuyi froze slightly, then her cold face flushed pink. She lifted her teacup and drank it down in gulps, her foot swaying gently.

Ding Yao, Yuan Yuan Caiwei, and the silent Yuan Yuanchen all listened, bewildered.

Only Zhuo Zhuo Wanqiu took a deep breath, feeling dizzy.

After finishing the tea, Yan Kuangcheng Yan Shuyi told the three: "You've just come out of the mountains—you must be exhausted. Why not rest here for a day?"

Yuan Yuanchen glanced at his brother-in-law, thinking: Brother-in-law was in such a hurry to find his sect mates—he won't be able to stay.

"Alright."

Ji You readily agreed, then silently thought: I seem to have forgotten something.

Whatever, it doesn't matter.

(End of Chapter)