Inside the lakeside pavilion, a gentle breeze brushed over the water, bringing with it a hint of dampness.
Yan Hongxiu’s smile froze at the corner of her lips.
Her eyes, usually tinged with heroic spirit, were now quietly sizing up the white-robed girl beside Ye Chen, while a storm raged in her heart.
A personal disciple… and of Heavenly Sword Peak, no less…
This cold and pure fluctuation of spiritual power was not something an ordinary disciple could possess.
Before she could speak, Xiaoxiao had already stood up gracefully, bowing elegantly to Yan Hongxiu.
Her movements were impeccable, and a flawless, gentle smile graced her face.
“This must be Senior Sister Yan.”
Her voice was as clear and pleasant as the sound of spring water.
“I am Xiaoxiao.”
A simple self-introduction, without mentioning her identity or explaining her relationship.
This deliberate omission carried more weight than any declaration, radiating an effortless composure.
She then turned slightly, her gentle gaze landing on Ye Chen, and naturally added, “My lord… he is reserved by nature and not skilled in social matters. If the hospitality is lacking, I ask Senior Sister to forgive us.”
As she spoke, she uttered the word “my lord” softly, like an intimate whisper, and then, as if realizing she had spoken too familiarly, subtly corrected herself.
Yet the intimacy unique to the two of them rippled out in invisible waves.
She spoke as the host, mentioning “lacking hospitality,” subtly aligning herself with Ye Chen as a unit.
These seemingly humble and courteous words quietly placed Yan Hongxiu in the category of an “outsider.”
After the introduction, Xiaoxiao sat down again, focusing on the tea set in her hands, as if the unexpected guest before her no longer existed.
She refilled the Jade Cup in front of Ye Chen with tea but showed no intention of pouring any for Yan Hongxiu.
On the stone table, three people, two cups of tea.
This silent tableau was itself a form of expulsion.
A subtle and tense atmosphere filled the air.
Ye Chen shook his head helplessly in his heart.
He raised his hand, picked up the teapot, and personally filled a cup of tea for the awkward-faced Yan Hongxiu.
“Please, Senior Sister.”
Almost the moment he acted, he felt a resentful gaze from his side, as if it carried enough heat to burn a hole through his wrist holding the pot.
Though Xiaoxiao was dissatisfied, she did not act out on the spot.
Ye Chen ignored that gaze, looked at Yan Hongxiu, and got straight to the point.
“I wonder, Senior Sister, what brings you to seek me?”
Yan Hongxiu’s gaze lifted from the clear tea, avoiding Xiaoxiao, and she spoke to Ye Chen with polite restraint.
“Earlier, by the lakeside, I saw Junior Brother cause the monument to tremble and progress swiftly in cultivation.
You must possess unique insights. Hongxiu is lacking and has encountered a bottleneck in cultivation, so I have come to humbly ask for your guidance.”
Her posture was low, her words sincere.
Ye Chen, however, shook his head, replying frankly.
“Senior Sister flatters me. We are both at the ninth level of Foundation Establishment. Our cultivation is equal—how could I presume to instruct you?”
He paused, then continued to explain.
“As for the rankings, the so-called titles are nothing more than a result of my cultivation method coincidentally restraining the Spiritual Power Torrent in the Dao Seeking Lake’s secret realm.
They are not to be taken seriously. Senior Sister is naturally talented and has a solid foundation; there’s no need to overthink it.”
His words were reasonable, both humble and to the point.
Yan Hongxiu looked up, gazing at Ye Chen deeply.
Her peripheral vision inadvertently swept past the white-robed girl beside him, who maintained a smile that made her feel as if thorns pressed against her back.
The corner of her lips moved ever so slightly, and a trace of understanding flashed in her eyes.
So that’s how it is.
“Junior Brother speaks truly. It was I who made a fuss.”
She stood up abruptly, clasped her fists toward the two of them, and her tone regained its usual brightness.
“This time I have disturbed you. I ask both Junior Brother and… this Junior Sister for forgiveness.”
Before Ye Chen could say anything more, her figure flashed, turning into a streak of red light that vanished from the pavilion—decisive and clean, without a trace of lingering.
Ye Chen watched her departing figure and nodded slightly.
Yan Hongxiu was a transparent-hearted and clever person.
If not for Xiaoxiao’s presence, with her forthright character, he wouldn’t have minded giving her a few pointers.
But…
He turned his head, meeting Xiaoxiao’s gaze in the air.
Xiaoxiao picked up the cup from which Yan Hongxiu had drunk, casually tossing it into the lake, as if wishing to erase all traces of another woman.
Ye Chen sighed inwardly.
Just now, if he had really agreed to instruct her, Xiaoxiao might have flipped the table right then and there.
Apparently satisfied with Ye Chen’s behavior, Xiaoxiao’s tense lips finally relaxed into a genuine, radiant smile.
She let out a cheerful laugh, and the entire lakeside pavilion seemed to brighten.
“My lord,”
She put down the teapot, her voice filled with excitement.
“The day is still early. Why not… skip cultivation for today and stroll with Xiaoxiao in the inner courtyard, all right?”
Before Ye Chen could answer, she had already stood up, naturally grasping his wrist.
Her small hand was warm and soft, yet brooked no refusal.
And so, before Ye Chen could even nod or shake his head, he was forcibly pulled by Xiaoxiao into the much-anticipated “one-day inner sect tour.”
Ye Chen felt helpless.
Was Xiaoxiao planning to announce their relationship to the entire Purple Cloud Sword Sect?
But looking at the girl beside him, her lips lifted high, her eyes sparkling with happiness, and her careful cherishing as if reclaiming something lost, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse.
So be it.
He would grant her this small wish.
Yet, he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
His original intention had been to let her sever worldly ties, transcend attachments, and walk the immortal path unburdened.
But now, his own actions seemed to be doing the opposite—tightening the thread of “bond” ever more closely.
……
The afternoon sun was warm and gentle, and the white jade-paved paths of the Purple Cloud Sword Sect’s inner courtyard were bustling.
Today, however, nearly every inner sect disciple’s gaze was drawn to the same pair of figures.
A personal disciple of Heavenly Sword Peak, the one hailed as the “Heavenly Exiled Fairy,” Xiaoxiao Senior Sister, was walking side by side with an unknown inner sect male disciple.
No, not side by side.
She was holding his arm intimately, pressing close, her face beaming with a happiness and satisfaction never before displayed in public.
The scene was like a massive boulder smashing into the calm lake, stirring up stormy waves.
Rumors began to ferment.
“My heavens! Did I see that right? Is that really Xiaoxiao Senior Sister? Who’s that man beside her?!”
“No idea! He looks unfamiliar, maybe from the sword court on Heavenly Sword Peak… could he be a new inner sect disciple?”
“Could a newcomer win Xiaoxiao Senior Sister’s heart so easily? Look at her—she’s like a maiden in love in the mortal world!”
At first, the rumors were filled with shock and curiosity.
Soon, as some well-informed disciples dug up Ye Chen’s identity, the rumor evolved into the first version—the [Genius Love Story Version].
“I know! That man is ‘Ye Chen’! The mysterious genius who set records on both the Refining Qi Ranking and Foundation Establishment Ranking at Dao Seeking Lake!”
“So it’s him! No wonder! Since ancient times, beauties have loved heroes. With Xiaoxiao Senior Sister’s peerless talent, only an extraordinary genius like Senior Brother Ye Chen could win her heart!”
“That’s right! This is a match made in heaven! A goddess in the open, a hidden dragon in the shadows—it’s like a tale straight out of a storybook!”
Yet where there is praise, there is also jealousy.
Soon, a second, twisted version with a sour undertone spread—the [Coercion and Control Version].
“Hmph, genius? I doubt it. Xiaoxiao Senior Sister is aloof by nature—how could she fall so easily for an inner sect disciple? Look, she’s the one being proactive, while that Ye Chen looks unwilling the whole time!”
“Agreed! Maybe Ye Chen used some shady method to control her mind!”
“Very possible! Maybe some evil technique, or perhaps he holds some secret over Senior Sister! Truly despicable!”
Then, as some disciples who had witnessed Ye Chen and Xiaoxiao together joined the conversation, a third, and the closest-to-truth version began to circulate in small circles—the [Childhood Sweethearts Version].
“You’re all wrong. I heard that this Ye… Senior Brother, was actually Xiaoxiao Senior Sister’s lord in the mortal world. Xiaoxiao Senior Sister was once his maid. They entered the sect together, and their bond runs deeper than we can imagine.”
“Maid? Lord? That relationship… is just too unbelievable!”
“So you see, it’s not just genius and beauty, but a loyalty and companionship crossing mortal and immortal realms…”
In no time, the entire inner sect, even places where outer sect and registered disciples gathered, was abuzz with speculation about Ye Chen and Xiaoxiao.
As for the two at the center of the rumors, they remained blissfully unaware.
The setting sun cast golden light across the majestic sect buildings.
At the foot of the mountain leading to Heavenly Sword Peak, Xiaoxiao finally stopped.
Reluctantly, she released Ye Chen’s arm, her beautiful eyes fixed on him, full of unwillingness to part.
“My lord, it’s getting dark. Xiaoxiao should go back.”
“Mm.” Ye Chen nodded.
“My lord…”
She stepped forward, rising on tiptoe, and in a voice only the two of them could hear, whispered in his ear,
“…Remember to respond to Xiaoxiao’s longing, okay?”
The warm breath brushed past his ear, making Ye Chen’s heart tremble.
He looked into her expectant eyes and replied solemnly,
“I will.”
Satisfied with the promise, Xiaoxiao finally smiled.
She gazed at him one last time, as if engraving his image onto her soul, then turned and became a streak of light, flying toward the mist-shrouded Heavenly Sword Peak.
Ye Chen stood where he was, watching the white figure disappear into the sky, unmoving for a long time.