Yao Xining was invited into the courtyard.
Since she was a guest, it wouldn’t be right to keep her outside… The girl in the black dress frowned, scanning the yard. She looked at the spring couplets pasted on the door, then shifted her gaze to the high-hanging red lanterns.
It was hard to imagine this was a place where a cultivator lived. To summarize it in one word: mundane.
“Senior Sister Yao, have some tea.”
Gu Xianyu brewed a pot of tea, pushed it toward her, and asked, “I wonder what Senior Sister Yao wanted to speak with me about?”
Yao Xining didn’t drink. She tapped her finger on the table. “There has been unusual movement among the five major demon sects. It has become increasingly frequent over the past few months, mostly occurring near Qingyang State.”
Gu Xianyu let out an “Oh,” looking a bit confused. Had Yao Xining come all this way just to tell her that?
“Do you know what their goal is?” Yao Xining looked up at her, their eyes meeting.
“What is it?”
“The Shangyuan Sect captured several demon cultivators and performed a soul search. They found a mission in their memories.” The girl in the black dress paused, her expression cold. “To be precise, it’s a pursuit order.”
“Jointly issued by the five major demon sects—the Saint Sect Pursuit Order.”
The Saint Sect Pursuit Order…
Jiang Tong reflected within the bell. 200 years later, the demon sects wouldn’t be as rampant as they were now, daring to brazenly call themselves the Saint Sect.
He had heard of this thing. It was said to be the highest-level pursuit order within the demon sects. Once the target was found, they were to be killed without mercy, focusing on speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness. Only famous figures of the righteous path usually made it onto that list.
What did this have to do with his little disciple?
Yao Xining glanced at the dazed Gu Xianyu before continuing. “The target of the pursuit order is the one who possesses the Sword Embryo. They want to seize it.”
“You are both a threat and a temptation to them. Whether you like it or not, the demon cultivators will search for you endlessly, hunt you down, and take your Sword Embryo. Fortunately, you haven’t exposed your identity yet.”
“Aside from me, a few elders within the sect, and my father, no one else knows for now.”
“I came here today to ask you—what do you plan to do?”
Gu Xianyu processed the information. It was so sudden that she felt a bit lost.
Seeing that she remained silent, Yao Xining took a sip of tea and spoke to herself. “From the sect’s perspective, I hope you survive. Your talent is obvious to everyone. The Shangyuan Sect can provide you with protection, hide you, and send powerful experts to guard you. Once you have the strength, it won’t be too late to serve the sect.”
“I… I want to think about it more.”
Yao Xining said nothing more. She nodded and stood up. “If you make a decision, you can find my father at the Sect Master’s Hall anytime.”
Yao Xining looked at the spring couplets again, then at the lanterns, before pushing the door open to leave. She sighed inwardly, her gaze holding a hint of resentment.
‘If only I were the one who possessed the Sword Embryo… Gu Xianyu is clearly not the best candidate for it. She lives just like a mortal…’
‘It’s a complete waste of a heavenly treasure.’
***
Yao Xining left.
Jiang Tong floated by the shore of Guanye Lake. He looked back at the courtyard, where Gu Xianyu was busily repairing the house, unsure of what she was thinking.
He floated out because he needed some quiet, and Gu Xianyu needed it too.
After living such a leisurely life for so long, he had thought things would just continue this way. Then, one day, a group of people suddenly appeared to hunt them down, wanting to dig something out of her body…
‘Damn.’
Jiang Tong didn’t know what was going through the girl’s head. He couldn’t tell anything from her expression. She was still doing her usual chores, as if what Yao Xining had said had no impact on her at all.
The more she acted like this, the scarier it was. It meant her brain had stopped thinking entirely, and she was simply doing familiar tasks to escape and numb herself into believing nothing had happened.
Seeking the protection of the Shangyuan Sect and hiding her identity.
She would be sent to some formation, guarded day and night by several powerful experts. Every day would consist of nothing but cultivation, growing stronger and stronger through constant practice…
Was that good…?
Jiang Tong submerged his white, soft soul-body into the cold lake water, trying to clear his thoughts.
“Master.”
Gu Xianyu had finished her work at some point. She sat by the lake, hugging her knees, and looked down at him.
“Should we move in tonight?”
Hearing her tone, Jiang Tong somehow felt like a newlywed couple moving into a new home…
He floated to the surface and sat down by the shore in a dignified manner. Once again, the two of them sat by the lake, but the atmosphere was completely different from the night before.
“In such a hurry?”
“Mhm.”
“Don’t you still want to plant some flowers in the yard…?”
“I’m scared.”
The girl pursed her lips. “If we don’t stay there soon… what if it’s too late?”
She was conflicted. She had been living a good life, but now her heart was hanging in suspense. There were so many people outside looking for her.
Although the Shangyuan Sect was a major sect, the five major demon sects were no pushovers. Infiltration and assassination were like child’s play to them. With all sorts of underhanded tricks, one might die without even knowing how.
Jiang Tong remained silent, pondering the same issue.
He remembered the last time he did a mission and saw the demon siblings killing each other. They were related to the Saint Soul Sect, but they were dead.
When people die, they leave traces. How long could she hide?
“What do you think of Yao Xining’s suggestion?” Jiang Tong didn’t make a decision immediately but asked for her opinion first.
“Me?” The little disciple hesitated for a moment.
“I think… it’s a bit strange. I don’t really want to do that…”
“You feel that being guarded and protected would be very stifling.”
“Yes!” Gu Xianyu nodded, her eyes filled with trepidation. “Master, is it bad of me to feel this way?”
No matter how one looked at it, accepting Yao Xining’s proposal and putting herself under a protective cover was a great choice.
But after tasting what ‘life’ was like with Jiang Tong, simply ‘being alive’ became hard to endure. Like a bird in a cage—how long would she be locked up?
“Not at all.”
Looking at his confused little disciple, Jiang Tong reached out and pinched her soft cheek. “Her suggestion seems good, but you can’t hide for long. To solve the problem, we have to strike at the root.”
“The demon sects don’t know your specific identity. They only know you’re in Qingyang State, which means their intelligence is limited. That’s why a bunch of people came here, searching blindly like headless flies.”
“Does that mean I’m safe for now, as long as I don’t take the initiative to reveal my identity?” Gu Xianyu understood Jiang Tong’s meaning.
“In the short term, yes.”
Jiang Tong looked at his increasingly lazy disciple and couldn’t help but sigh.
He really had influenced her too much…
“This problem is actually quite easy to solve. In the end, it’s just because you’re not strong enough.”
“The Sword Embryo can be seized, but once it is forged into a Sword Heart, it truly merges with you. Your strength will also increase significantly, and no one will be able to take it away. At that point, we will be the ones killing them, rather than waiting for them to kill us.”
“I understand.” The girl’s eyes flickered as she clenched her fists. “While there is still time, I want to forge a Sword Heart.”
“A Sword Heart isn’t that easy to forge. You need to undergo a transformation first.” Jiang Tong didn’t have the heart to dampen her enthusiasm.
“We should prepare for both possibilities. First, try to let the Sword Embryo transform. If things reach a desperate point, then we’ll ask the sect for help. But in the future, you might be tied here for the rest of your life because you’ll owe them a massive favor.”
Yao Xining’s words earlier had carried that underlying meaning.
A sect would never protect you for nothing. If they truly provided help, it would be equivalent to saving your life. Cutting ties later would be difficult.
The world of cultivation involved swords and daggers, but it also involved social debts and favors.
“I… I want to try.”
After thinking for a few seconds, Gu Xianyu looked up, the confusion gone from her eyes.
She looked at the clear lake and the newly built house nearby. “This place is for living, but it’s time for me to draw my sword.”
“Otherwise, I’ll suffer, I’ll regret it, and I might even die. If I die, there will be no one to take care of Master in his old age. I’m afraid of dying, and I’m afraid of no one taking care of you.”
“If I hide in a small courtyard being protected by others, I won’t have the desire to hold a sword. I wouldn’t know the meaning of swinging it at the air every day.”
“So when it’s time to take up the sword…” Jiang Tong smiled. “Cut them down.”
“Cut them down!”
The girl’s eyes sparkled. She lowered her head, her heart pounding.
“Master.”
“Hmm?”
“Will we… will we die?”
Jiang Tong was startled, then smiled and patted her head.
“Silly girl. Master will keep you alive.”
“I don’t want that.”
Gu Xianyu interrupted him. Jiang Tong was stunned; it was the first time he had seen his disciple so serious.
The girl said softly, “If Master dies for me, then I will die with you.”
“A world without you is not a world I want.”