“Senior Sister’s Master? Are you asking about Martial Uncle Jiang?”
Lin Qianqian was momentarily stunned by Hua Yan’s question before realization dawned on her.
“Oh, right. Since you followed Senior Sister back to Mianyun Peak yesterday, you probably noticed how quiet it is and got curious, right?”
Hua Yan nodded silently.
“Then why didn’t you just ask Senior Sister?”
“I did. She only said her master was killed by Evil Cultivators and didn’t go into detail. I figured it wasn’t right to press her for more, so I came to ask you instead,” Hua Yan replied.
She paused for a moment before adding as an afterthought, “Of course, it’s not like I’m worried about her. I’m just a bit curious, that’s all.”
“I understand. You’re right, Daoist Friend Hua.”
Lin Qianqian nodded knowingly and sighed softly.
“Actually, Senior Sister’s past isn’t much of a secret in the Xiaoyao Sword Sect. Most people in the sect know about it—after all, it has only been 120 years since Senior Sister joined the sect.”
“Daoist Friend Hua, you must have heard Senior Sister mention that she’s been practicing in the sect under Martial Uncle Jiang since she was a child, right?”
‘I have practiced in the sect with my Master since I was a child and rarely descended the mountain. During that journey ten years ago, I only traveled between the various immortal sects and never stayed long in the mortal world.’
Recalling the words Yun Xuechang had spoken on the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Hua Yan nodded in response. “That’s true.”
“Then how much do you know about Martial Uncle Jiang Changge?”
Hua Yan hesitated.
‘Well, when my grandmother scolded me as a kid, she used to mention that name. She said if I didn’t behave, I’d end up like Jiang Changge of the Xiaoyao Sword Sect.’
Naturally, she couldn’t say that to her face.
She simply said, “I heard my grandmother mention her a few times when I was little. She said she was a highly skilled swordswoman with a wild temperament… but that was just childhood hearsay. I never looked into it afterward.”
“It might be a bit disrespectful to a deceased elder to say this, but using ‘wild’ to describe Martial Uncle Jiang is an understatement.”
Lin Qianqian shook her head helplessly.
“Martial Uncle Jiang was… more like a female version of a playboy. She specifically loved to seek out beautiful female cultivators to romance. But once she got bored after a while, she would look for someone new, leaving behind many debts of the heart.”
“Because she spent her days indulging in such pleasures, she never took a disciple, despite having the profound cultivation of the Void Amalgamation Stage.”
“The sect had quite a headache dealing with a person like Martial Uncle Jiang. However, first of all, she was the sole Peak Master of Mianyun Peak, with high seniority and deep cultivation. Aside from the Sect Master and a few Elders, no one could control her. Secondly, her strength was overwhelming; few could suppress her, so the sect just let her be.”
“That was until one day, Martial Uncle Jiang returned from a trip. This time, she didn’t have a new lady friend by her side, but a little girl with white hair and red eyes.”
“Could that be…” Hua Yan’s heart stirred.
“Exactly. That was Senior Sister Yun.”
Lin Qianqian nodded.
“No one knows where Martial Uncle Jiang found Senior Sister. All we know is that she raised Senior Sister personally on Mianyun Peak. Once Senior Sister’s cultivation reached the Core Formation Stage, Martial Uncle Jiang officially took her and several other disciples under her wing during the Apprentice Recruitment Ceremony. My Master and the other Peak Masters and Elders were so happy then. They thought Martial Uncle Jiang had finally settled down, and they even set off firecrackers in the sect.”
“In the following years, Martial Uncle Jiang indeed stopped wandering for romance. She stayed quietly on the peak to teach her disciples and spent her free time drinking tea and playing chess with the Sect Master and others.”
“But who would have thought… one New Year’s Eve, Martial Uncle Jiang took the disciples of Mianyun Peak down the mountain to celebrate in the mortal world. On the way, they were suddenly ambushed by Evil Cultivators.”
“Evil Cultivators?” Hua Yan was startled.
“Yes. Those Evil Cultivators somehow managed to track Martial Uncle Jiang’s group and set an ambush in advance.” Lin Qianqian’s tone grew heavy.
“Even though Martial Uncle Jiang had god-like abilities, she was ultimately outnumbered. She had to focus on protecting Senior Sister and the others, and in the end…”
At this point, she paused, a flash of regret and sorrow crossing her eyes as she stopped speaking.
“I heard that by the time the sect’s reinforcements arrived, Senior Sister Yun was the only one left alive.”
“Since then, Senior Sister—who was already a hardworking cultivator—became even more obsessed with advancing her cultivation and hunting down Evil Cultivators. Day after day, year after year, she became the current Sword Head of the Xiaoyao Sword Sect, the Number One of the Righteous Young Generation whom everyone admires, Yun Xuechang.”
After finishing, Lin Qianqian sighed again and looked at Hua Yan with a serious expression.
“Daoist Friend Hua, to be honest, before I met you and Rongrong, I was always worried that Senior Sister wouldn’t be able to move on from the past. But after the trip to Great Chu and seeing how you stay together, I finally realized… compared to the sword and her obsessions, Senior Sister cares more about the person right in front of her.”
“But I…”
Hua Yan subconsciously wanted to protest, wanting to say there was no true affection between her and Yun Xuechang, and that they were only tied together because of Hua Xiangrong. But the words stuck in her throat.
The images of Yun Xuechang clumsily but carefully looking after Hua Xiangrong over the past few days flashed through her mind. Hua Yan looked down silently, a flicker of complexity crossing her heart.
Perhaps Lin Qianqian was right. That person… did care about people.
‘Though that care has nothing to do with me. I’m just the mother of her child.’
‘After returning to the Valley, we can treat each other with mutual respect like guests. We don’t have to be a real couple. I won’t bind you, and if you wish to find another Dao Companion, feel free… I just want to spend more time with Rongrong as her mother.’
The words of Yun Xuechang’s serious promise from the Mid-Autumn Festival suddenly surfaced in her mind. Hua Yan pursed her lips, feeling an inexplicable tightness in her chest.
Whatever, why am I thinking about this? Who she likes has nothing to do with me!
“Um… how about you tell me more about her past?”
The red-haired girl looked away, her voice soft and carrying a hint of awkwardness she hadn’t even noticed.
“Ah? Sure.”
Lin Qianqian was startled for a moment before she smiled.
“But I don’t know everything. I joined the sect later than Senior Sister, so most of what I know comes from what the elders told me.”
“Hmm… I’ll start from the very beginning. My Master said that when Senior Sister Yun was first brought back to the sect by Martial Uncle Jiang…”
…
At Mianyun Peak, the white-haired Fairy sitting in meditation slowly opened her eyes and looked at the sun hanging high in the sky.
It was almost noon. Had she not returned yet?
‘If Yan’er isn’t here, I can’t make food that tastes good enough for Rongrong on my own…’
Yun Xuechang, who was staring blankly at the sun, suddenly paused.
Right, Rongrong started school today and would be eating lunch there.
Since she and Yan’er had long ago reached Bigu, there was no need to prepare lunch if Rongrong wasn’t around.
In that case, it was normal for her not to come back for lunch.
The cold Fairy with white clothes and white hair closed her eyes once more.
‘Is it because I’ve spent every day with her and Rongrong lately—cooking together and eating together—that I’ve developed such a habit?’
No matter. If she didn’t return, she would simply continue her solitary cultivation.
“Hey, it’s already noon and you’re still sitting here in meditation?”
A bright, slightly teasing voice suddenly rang out, interrupting Yun Xuechang’s attempt to enter a meditative state.
She opened her eyes in a daze, and the familiar figure with red hair came into view.
The girl stood before her with a smile, her pale gold eyes curved into crescent moons, her hands hidden behind her back as she looked at her playfully.
“Stop meditating. Quickly, look what I brought for you.”
As she spoke, she revealed a stick of bright red, glistening Tanghulu from behind her back.
“Ahem! This—I saw this at your sect’s dining hall just now! Uh, I wanted to eat it myself but accidentally bought too many! I couldn’t finish this last one, so I… I just brought it for you! Don’t get the wrong idea!”
Although the girl was still holding out the Tanghulu, she turned her face away.
Her earlobes were tinged with a faint red, and her fingers unconsciously toyed with a strand of hair by her temple.
To Yun Xuechang, whose vision was still slightly hazy after just opening her eyes, the red-haired girl in this state perfectly filled her entire field of vision.
It left her stunned for a moment, momentarily forgetting to look away.