“Isn’t that right, young friend Hua Yan from Hundred Flowers Valley?”
?!
Hearing those words, Hua Yan froze on the spot.
‘Wait, how does the Sect Master of Xiaoyao Sword Sect know my identity? I’m clearly a woman now! Could Ye Qingyuan have intercepted the person Grandmother arranged?!’
She immediately fixed a wary gaze on the old man before her, her aura poised to strike.
Beside her, Lin Qianqian was a picture of utter confusion.
“Eh? Hua Yan of Hundred Flowers Valley? Who is that? Sect Master, are you talking about Daoist Friend Hua?”
“But isn’t Hua Yan the Young Master of Hundred Flowers Valley? Daoist Friend Hua Yan’er is clearly a woman. Sect Master, could you have made a mistake?”
The innocent girl looked at the smiling, silent Sect Master, then at the slightly frowning Yun Xuechang, and finally at Hua Yan’s cold, frozen expression.
Finally sensing that the atmosphere was off, she quietly shut her mouth.
“Hahaha, young friend, there is no need to be so tense. Relax a little.”
Ye Qingyuan spoke with a warm smile.
“How do you know my identity? What do you plan to do?”
The vigilance on Hua Yan’s face did not diminish in the slightest.
“Hmm? Young friend Hua, did your grandmother not explain things clearly to you?”
Ye Qingyuan looked slightly surprised.
“Your identity was naturally shared with me by your grandmother. As for what I plan to do — I simply intend to properly host you and Rongrong after your long journey.”
“Grandmother only mentioned that she had arranged an identity for me within the Xiaoyao Sword Sect. She never mentioned anything related to you.”
Hua Yan’s expression remained strained.
“Oh, I see. Well, I should have known. Your grandmother is still so impatient. Even after 1,000 years of embroidering flowers, she hasn’t been able to change that old habit.”
Ye Qingyuan first looked enlightened, then shook his head with a smile as he pointed to himself.
“Young friend, the person your grandmother reached out to was me.”
???
Hua Yan was completely stunned.
‘No way? The “arrangement” Grandmother made was through the Sect Master of Xiaoyao Sword Sect himself?!’
“Oh, I understand. Are you worried that since the Righteous and Demonic Paths are currently at odds, I might be plotting against you?”
Ye Qingyuan stroked his beard and smiled.
“Young friend, there is absolutely no need for that. This so-called conflict between the Righteous and Demonic Paths is only a matter of the last few hundred years, but my friendship with your grandmother has lasted for thousands of years.”
He picked up his teacup and took a light sip. When he looked up, his gaze was gentle.
“Even if the Xiaoyao Sword Sect and Hundred Flowers Valley are powerless to turn the tide and must drift with the current, who says that we cannot maintain old friendships in private while we clash on the surface?”
“Speaking of which, I even held you in my arms at Hundred Flowers Valley when you were first born.”
Setting down the teacup, the old man spoke with a touch of sentimentality.
“I just didn’t expect that the little boy from back then would grow into such a graceful young woman. You even have a child now. Truly, the world is unpredictable.”
???
While Hua Yan was still in a daze, unable to process the revelation, Lin Qianqian beside her could no longer contain her shock.
“Wait?! Sect Master, you mean… Daoist Friend Hua was originally a man?! She’s really Hua Yan? This — this can actually change?”
“Yes, naturally. According to what I’ve heard from her grandmother, this grandson of hers changed appearance after losing a battle on the Yin-Yang Platform of the Hehuan Sect. Qianqian, if you’re curious about such things, why don’t you go try that Yin-Yang Platform for yourself in 490 years?”
“No, no, no, no! I’m fine just the way I am! I don’t want to become a man!”
Lin Qianqian immediately shook her head like a rattle.
“Very well. Young friend Hua, you can rest easy and stay within the sect for the time being.”
After teasing Lin Qianqian, the old Sect Master looked back at Hua Yan with a chuckle.
“I will arrange your identity properly. You will still go by the name ‘Hua Yan’er,’ and your background will be that of a Rogue Cultivator. You will be Xuechang’s — well, let’s say, her confidante.”
As he said this, the old man’s eyes twinkled with a hint of a smile as he winked.
“No one else will know about this matter. And Qianqian will certainly not speak of it.”
“Yes! I will definitely keep the secret!”
Lin Qianqian, who had been shaking her head just a moment ago, was now nodding vigorously.
“As for your living arrangements, you and Rongrong will stay with Xuechang at Mianyun Peak. I certainly wouldn’t dream of separating your family of three.”
“Alright, I won’t keep you here with this old man any longer. Xuechang and Qianqian, why don’t you take this mother and daughter for a tour around the sect?”
Ye Qingyuan rose to see them out. As he reached the hall doors, he added one more thing.
“By the way, there is a school within the sect specifically for the enlightenment of disciples at the Qi Refining Stage, like Rongrong. If you are interested, young friend, you could send her there to learn. It is always good for children to spend time with those of their own age.”
Thus, Hua Yan, who still hadn’t fully processed everything, followed the others out of the Great Hall.
“Wow! I never imagined you had such a background, Daoist Friend Hua! But don’t worry, I will definitely keep your secret!”
As soon as they stepped out of the hall, Lin Qianqian patted her chest and promised enthusiastically.
“Come on! My senior sister and I will show you around the Xiaoyao Sword Sect!”
Hua Yan nodded in response, but another question surfaced in her heart.
‘That’s not right. Grandmother didn’t believe me at all when I told her where Rongrong came from. What about Ye Qingyuan? Since he knows Rongrong wasn’t born from Xuechang, surely he knows she isn’t mine either. Does he not have any suspicions at all?’
……
After the group departed, Ye Qingyuan slowly sat back down on his cushion and spoke softly.
“Old friend, I have handled the matter you requested.”
“Understood. You’ll get your Spirit Stones.”
At some point, a Cloth Voice Transmission Talisman had appeared on the table before him. Hua Yuheng’s voice drifted out from it, sounding indifferent.
“And you still had the nerve to tell the juniors that the Xiaoyao Sword Sect isn’t short on Spirit Stones? Hmph, I see you old ghost still care far too much about your reputation.”
“Well, there are always ways to earn them, aren’t there? Once I’ve earned the Spirit Stones, then I’m not short on them. Wouldn’t you agree, old friend?”
Ye Qingyuan continued to chuckle, not showing the slightest embarrassment at being exposed.
“Forget it. Why do I even bother arguing with a thick-skinned old fellow like you?”
Hua Yuheng gave a light huff and stopped responding to that point.
“…”
After a moment of silence, Ye Qingyuan asked quietly, “So, old friend, do you really not plan to tell child Hua Yan what’s truly on your mind?”
“Tell her what? Tell her that I actually believe her story about Rongrong coming from an Otherworld? After all, I know better than anyone that even if she’s usually unreliable and improper, she would never joke about something so serious.”
Hua Yuheng huffed again.
“Hmph, if she knew that, how could she possibly stay quietly at your Xiaoyao Sword Sect? She would have been clamoring to return to the Valley long ago.”
“If that happened, how could I arrange for her to marry that child Xuechang as soon as she returns? They have to stay outside and nurture their feelings first!”
After a short pause, her voice turned heavy.
“Besides, the Demonic Path is currently far less peaceful than your Righteous Path. It is ultimately safer for her and Rongrong to stay out there.”
“…”
Ye Qingyuan fell silent again. After a long while, he spoke.
“Old friend, regarding that matter with Zhao Mingyuan, the Emperor of Great Chu…”
“Yes. That matter suggests those guys are likely unable to sit still much longer.”
Hua Yuheng’s voice turned cold.
“I wonder how much longer my Demonic Path can remain at peace.”
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