Illusion?
That was Jiang Tong’s first reaction. With Jiang Yue-Liu’s personality, how could she possibly blush.
“Master……”
Before he could investigate further, Jiang Yue-Liu slightly lifted her gaze, the part of her cheek covered in shadow now exposed.
Delicate and snow-white, not a hint of anything unusual.
“Why are you looking at me with such a strange expression?” Jiang Yue-Liu stared into his eyes.
“It’s nothing, I just……”
I really saw it wrong.
Jiang Tong shifted his thoughts back to the main topic, sighed softly, “I still want to take part in the Grand Competition. If you don’t believe me, Master, how about a bet?”
“A bet that you’ll come back alive?” Jiang Yue-Liu’s beautiful brows furrowed.
“A bet that I’ll take first place.”
Silence.
Jiang Yue-Liu looked at him for several breaths, her slender forefinger tapped his forehead, as if wanting to say something, but in the end she put her hand down.
Jiang Tong noticed her movement and let out a helpless chuckle, gently reassuring, “Alright, I know Master is worried about me, but I can’t hide on Condensing Moon Cliff for my whole life.”
“A sword cultivator must always charge ahead.”
When she heard this, Jiang Yue-Liu suddenly froze. In her cool, indifferent eyes, there was a flash of distraction, as if she had been struck by something.
After several breaths, she looked at Jiang Tong, her gaze now tinged with complexity.
Jiang Yue-Liu shook her head, and under Jiang Tong’s confused gaze, sighed and softly agreed, “Alright.”
Jiang Tong tilted his head. What’s going on with Master?
The two sat in silence, saying nothing. Ji Nianxue seized the opportunity and quietly walked over.
“Are you going to go?”
“I have to go at least once,” Jiang Tong replied.
Ji Nianxue hesitated for a second: “Are you registering for the Inner Sect, or the Outer Sect?”
Naturally, the Inner and Outer Sect Grand Competitions were held separately. Before Jiang Tong could answer, Jiang Yue-Liu’s gaze swept over.
“Did your master send you to ask that?”
Ji Nianxue lowered her head and replied softly, “Replying to Aunt Jiang… I also want to know where Senior Brother Jiang Tong will sign up.”
A tacit admission.
Although Yao Xining was sometimes friend, sometimes foe—actually, more friend than foe—in some ways, Jiang Yue-Liu really couldn’t stand her behavior. For example, right now, so childish.
Yao Xining was too embarrassed to ask Jiang Tong herself, so she sneakily sent her own disciple to find out where he intended to register. If Jiang Tong chose the Outer Sect Competition, as a personal disciple it would be beneath his status, and that woman would secretly rejoice.
If Jiang Tong chose the Inner Sect, but lost, the one losing face would be his master. In the end, Yao Xining’s goal was to make Jiang Yue-Liu lose face.
Yao Xining was just that type—competitive and petty, always picking little fights when she couldn’t win a big one, yet thinking herself clever.
If she couldn’t surpass Jiang Yue-Liu, why make things hard for her own disciple? What’s the point?
Jiang Yue-Liu looked away. She didn’t want to make things difficult for Ji Nianxue, so she lowered her eyes, sat to the side, and poured herself a cup of tea, weighed down by her own thoughts.
Jiang Tong glanced at Master, then at Ji Nianxue, and finally said, “The Inner Sect.”
Ji Nianxue softly responded “Alright,” and her eyes grew a bit brighter as she looked at Jiang Tong.
She seemed to want to say something else, but after glancing at Jiang Yue-Liu beside her, she lowered her head again, as if she had only come for this one question.
“Is there anything else?” Jiang Tong was already turning to tidy up the dishes. “If not, you should head back.”
With Master and the rival master’s disciple both here, the atmosphere was truly awkward; it wasn’t as if they’d say anything further if they stayed.
Ji Nianxue was a genius, and also beautiful, but Jiang Tong had no obligation to treat her gently.
If looks alone required kindness, there would be no end to the beautiful girls in the world. Jiang Tong felt being polite was enough, even if Ji Nianxue’s fondness for him was obvious.
Ji Nianxue bit her lower lip, nodded silently, and turned to leave.
Jiang Tong hesitated a moment, and his conscience pricked him. He called out, “If you want to make a deal with me, come back tomorrow morning. Today… it’s already quite late.”
“…Alright.”
The girl’s shoulders trembled slightly as she gently pushed open the courtyard door, her steps unconsciously lighter, until she vanished into the night.
Jiang Yue-Liu set down her teacup and suddenly asked, “What do you think of Ji Nianxue?”
Jiang Tong felt like his master was laying a trap for him.
“Rival.”
“She doesn’t seem to think so.” Jiang Yue-Liu stared at Jiang Tong’s lips, as if wanting to see his reaction.
“But that’s what I think.” Jiang Tong was earnest, “Master and the Sect Leader are rivals. I can’t help them go against you.”
Jiang Yue-Liu replied calmly, “Who told you to help her?”
Jiang Tong stood there in a daze for a moment, while Jiang Yue-Liu had already risen and headed to her own room.
There seemed to be something more in her words.
Jiang Tong pondered carefully, but even after the wooden door creaked shut, he still didn’t understand Master’s meaning.
She didn’t seem angry, so what did she want him to do…
He couldn’t figure out the answer. A flower petal gently fell on his shoulder.
Jiang Tong subconsciously looked up—the osmanthus in the courtyard had bloomed, as if a light yellow snow was falling.
…….
Ji Nianxue bounded lightly along, dislodging stones from the mountain path, and with a gentle push from her toes, her figure in blue landed softly in front of her tiled courtyard.
She removed the osmanthus wood hairpin from her head, her black hair cascading down, and carefully put the hairpin away before lightly knocking at the door.
“Master, I’m back.”
A languid female voice sounded from behind the screen: “You’re just in time, close the door and come bathe with Master.”
Judging by the voice, it sounded like a very seductive woman, but Ji Nianxue knew it was just an act—Yao Xining was always moody and unpredictable.
She gently closed the door, walked around the screen, and the hot spring’s mist swirled. A graceful figure was half-obscured, lounging in the corner of the hot spring.
“Master, I already washed once today,” Ji Nianxue said softly through the steam.
“When I call you, you get in.” Yao Xining’s tone grew a little impatient.
Ji Nianxue hesitated for a few seconds, then slowly took off her outer clothes, draping her pale blue undergarments over a stone.
The mist hid the girl’s figure—it was the stage between youth and maturity, with the faint curve of her soft chest just visible.
She carefully covered her chest, dipped in her toes, then her smooth, fair calves and thighs, until the water gently wrapped around her whole body, with only droplets rolling down her chest.
At some point, Yao Xining swam over beside her, legs crossed, resting her head comfortably on a stone at the pool’s edge.
Her figure was far more voluptuous than Ji Nianxue’s, the exposed parts above the water especially striking. Yao Xining raised her arms to smooth her hair, water running down the curves, while Ji Nianxue silently looked away.
“Well, is Jiang Tong planning to go?” Yao Xining didn’t mind, since only she and her disciple were in the courtyard.
“He agreed.”
The smile at the corner of Yao Xining’s lips faltered.
“He agreed?”
“Mm.”
“That woman didn’t object?” There was disbelief in Yao Xining’s charming eyes.
Ji Nianxue knew that “that woman” meant Jiang Yue-Liu, and replied with eyes lowered, “Aunt Jiang didn’t agree, but… Jiang Tong somehow persuaded her. He’s signing up for the Inner Sect.”
Yao Xining’s expression was first confused, then slowly twisted into a cold smile.
“That woman is truly foolish, letting a sixth-stage Qi Refining disciple enter the Inner Sect Grand Competition. In the end, she’ll only embarrass herself.”
Ji Nianxue stayed silent. Hearing that Jiang Tong would join the Inner Sect Competition, she was filled with mixed feelings.
If she met Jiang Tong on the stage, what should she do?
A cold, slender hand suddenly cupped her cheek, turning her face over with a bit of force.
“Master is speaking to you—can’t you hear?” Yao Xining leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Are you confident you’ll take first place?”
Ji Nianxue’s lips parted slightly as she avoided Yao Xining’s searching gaze.
“I…”
“Nianxue, listen closely,” Yao Xining’s voice was tinged with resentment, and her fingertips trembled from the effort. “Master knows that brat Jiang once saved your life, but he’s long forgotten. Why must you still care?”
“You promised to be Master’s sword, to help me fulfill the wish I couldn’t realize. But do you know…”
“A sword must not have feelings. Do you understand?”
Ji Nianxue found it hard to breathe, her long lashes beaded with moisture—most likely from the rising steam.
“Nianxue understands.”
Only then did Yao Xining let go, leaning back to the side and closing her eyes coldly, “I’ll soak a while longer. You go up first.”
Ji Nianxue bowed her head silently, said nothing more, and left the pool, drying herself with spiritual energy before getting dressed and heading to the back courtyard.
For a long while, Yao Xining remained there with her eyes closed, her gaze growing deep—the flowers and plants around the hot spring had all burst into bloom.
When her inner demons flared up, her wood spiritual root became uncontrollable.
Even if she suppressed it again, there was still an undercurrent of unease.
She thought once more of Jiang Yue-Liu, two hundred years ago—also insignificant, of mediocre talent, yet unknowingly she had become who she was today.
And she herself, stricken with a grave illness, would likely never ascend further for the rest of her life.
At that time, Jiang Yue-Liu hadn’t even been called Jiang Yue-Liu.