After eating the last tanghulu, the two sat down at the stone table and benches under the old scholar tree — or more accurately, Hua Yan had dragged Yun Xuechang over.
A cup of tea sat before each of them.
According to Hua Yan, tanghulu was a sweet treat, and after eating something sweet, one always needed a cup of tea to cleanse the palate.
“Yan’er, there is actually something about this trip to the Great Chu that surprised me,” Yun Xuechang said, holding her teacup with one hand and taking a shallow sip.
“Hmm? Are you talking about Zhao Mingyuan? Why bring that up only after we’ve left the Chu Kingdom?”
Sitting opposite her, Hua Yan was much more particular.
She first observed the color of the tea, then took in its aroma, before taking a small sip.
She followed it with a satisfied drink of the fine tea in her cup.
“No. It was indeed shocking that the Chu Emperor, Zhao Mingyuan, was the mastermind behind the Evil Cultivator incident, but that is not what I wanted to talk about.”
Yun Xuechang set down her teacup, her eyelids drooping slightly.
“I mean, it was truly unexpected that we managed to complete this Evil Purging mission with zero casualties.”
“?”
“What do you mean?”
Hua Yan held her tea set, looking at her with a face full of confusion, completely lost.
“With your cultivation and swordsmanship, plus two experts like Daoist Friend Qu and Lin Qianqian, how could there be casualties in such an ordinary Evil-slaying Mission? Running into a Deity Transformation Stage evil cultivator like Zhao Mingyuan this time was already an extremely rare accident, right?”
“That is how it should be in principle. But this was, after all… an operation I participated in.”
“What does ‘you participated in’ mean? What does it matter whether you were involved or not?”
Hua Yan became increasingly bewildered.
“Actually, since I began my cultivation, almost every time I went out for experience, I would encounter life-threatening situations.”
Yun Xuechang looked up at her and said seriously,
“During Qi Refining, I was ambushed by demonic beasts and only managed to escape after a desperate struggle. During Foundation Building, I accidentally entered a Secret Realm with several fellow disciples, facing danger at every turn. During the Golden Core Stage, there was that time I was ambushed by Evil Cultivators with my Master. Even during my travels ten years ago, I encountered many perils.”
She paused, her voice softening.
“For this Evil Purging, I had prepared for the worst from the very beginning. I originally thought we would encounter at least a Spirit Transformation Middle Stage evil cultivator. Before setting out, I was determined to do my best to protect my junior sisters and the others. Who could have guessed that, in the end, we would only face someone at the Deity Transformation Stage like Zhao Mingyuan?”
“You mean… you’re complaining that you weren’t unlucky enough this time?”
The corner of Hua Yan’s mouth twitched slightly.
“Exactly.”
Yun Xuechang nodded gently, her voice soft.
“I think perhaps it was because of the arrival of Yan’er and Rongrong that my actions went so smoothly this time. So, I am truly grateful to you both.”
“Maybe.”
Hua Yan curled her lip, clearly skeptical of this talk about luck.
“Didn’t Qu Linglong say it before? Rongrong’s Heaven-Blessed Dao Body brings mysterious good luck to those close to her. Maybe she’s the one who turned your luck around.”
“But if you ask me, with the information we have on Rongrong, even if two more Zhao Mingyuans showed up, we would still beat them until they didn’t know which way was north!”
Seeing her brimming with confidence, Yun Xuechang could not help but nod with a smile.
“Yes, you are right.”
A trace of warmth spread across her cold features.
“I hope that in the future… my luck will always be as good as it was this time.”
“I will also cultivate hard to protect you and Rongrong.”
“…Why are you suddenly saying something so sappy? Who—who wants your protection…”
Hua Yan’s mouth expressed disdain, but her eyes drifted to the side. Her cheeks turned slightly red as she focused on pouring the tea into her mouth.
“Ahem, if you ask me, you’re just overthinking things.”
“Mm, let’s assume so.”
Yun Xuechang nodded again and then stood up.
“To be honest, Yan’er, after the battle in Yunjing, I have felt a slight opportunity to break through to the Spirit Severing Stage.”
??!
Hearing her suddenly change the topic, Hua Yan was momentarily stunned.
‘No way? She’s reaching the Spirit Severing Stage so soon?! Ten years ago, my cultivation was still a level ahead of hers! How am I being overtaken now?’
Of course, the disbelief-filled Hua Yan didn’t realize that, compared to Yun Xuechang, she basically hadn’t put any effort into cultivation at all. Yet, she didn’t see a problem with that.
“Therefore, Yan’er, I want to invite you to another match.”
Yun Xuechang held out her hand to her, her gaze earnest.
“You know many techniques, and I benefited greatly from our battle ten years ago. If I can fight you again ten years later, I might be able to realize the key to that breakthrough during the battle.”
?
Hua Yan’s eyes lit up, her shock instantly turning into joy.
‘Hahahaha! I was just worrying that I wouldn’t have a chance to avenge my past humiliation, and here you are delivering yourself to my door!’
‘Yun Xuechang, just wait to be beaten until you’re completely convinced!’
She immediately reached out and shook her hand, a brilliant smile on her face.
“Fine! Then I’ll give you a helping hand for your breakthrough!”
“Mm, then let’s go to the sect’s martial arena right now—”
“Senior Sister Yun! Daoist Friend Hua! Something is wrong—!”
A hurried female voice interrupted Yun Xuechang.
The two turned their heads to look. They saw a gentle young girl with green hair styled in a side braid, flying toward them in a hurry atop a Qingguang Sword.
“Something is wrong! —Huh?”
As soon as she landed, her gaze fell on their still-joined hands.
“Did… did I interrupt you two?”
Lin Qianqian blinked, her tone hesitant.
“We—we didn’t! We—we weren’t doing anything just now!”
Hua Yan snapped her hand back, her ears turning slightly red as she defended herself loudly.
“Mm-hmm’Wasn’t doing anything,’ I see”
The look of gossip on Lin Qianqian’s face was beyond words.
Yun Xuechang blinked, the warm and soft sensation from the hand she had just held still lingering on her fingertips.
She interrupted the two in a soft voice, asking, “Junior Sister Lin, has some emergency occurred to make you so hurried?”
“Oh, right! I almost forgot the main point!”
Reminded of this, Lin Qianqian immediately slapped her head, her expression becoming urgent again.
“Senior Sister Yun, Daoist Friend Hua, you should go to the academy and take a look!”
“Rongrong is fighting with someone there!”
Yun Xuechang and Hua Yan: ???
…
‘That brat. I clearly told her to behave herself at the academy this morning, yet she’s already fighting someone the moment I turn my back?’
As Hua Yan followed Yun Xuechang toward the academy via Sword Kinesis, she felt annoyed.
‘She loves causing trouble so much; it must be because the Yun Xuechang from that other world spoiled her! Just wait until I teach her a good lesson!’
She glared at Yun Xuechang, who was flying beside her. Sensing her gaze, the latter turned her head slightly, her clear crimson eyes showing a hint of confusion.
Before long, the square courtyard of the academy appeared before the three of them.
In the middle of the yard stood an old white-haired scholar, who was saying something to a middle-aged cultivator with an indignant look on his face.
Behind the middle-aged cultivator stood a fat boy who was glaring fiercely at the pink-haired girl opposite him.
That pink-haired girl was, naturally, Hua Xiangrong.
She stood with her hands on her hips, her cheeks puffed out like a grumpy little tangyuan as she glared back at the boy.
Behind her, a little girl with pale gold hair and a goose-yellow dress was hiding timidly, her small hands tightly clutching the corner of Hua Xiangrong’s clothes.
A pair of pale gold long ears grew from the girl’s head; they were currently drooping softly as she covered her eyes with her hands.
Her ears shook slightly along with her trembling body.
‘Eh?’
Hua Yan was slightly taken aback.
‘Is that… a little rabbit demon?’