“Did I… walk into the wrong place? Is this really our Xiaoyao Sword Sect…?”
Ye Qingyuan gazed at the revitalized sect before him, dazed for a moment.
From a distance in the sky, the continuous mountain ranges of the Xiaoyao Sword Sect were covered in thick snow, looking like a silver dragon lying in repose.
This was no different from previous years and was the normal state of affairs.
What was unusual, however, was that under the morning sun, among the pines and cypresses covering the mountains, vermilion lanterns and colored silks were hung everywhere.
It was a jubilant scene, even more festive than a Sect Grand Ceremony.
Under the eaves of the palaces of the seven main peaks, bright yellow tassels were hung.
The exquisite bronze bells hanging from the corners of the eaves jingled softly in the breeze.
On the square in front of the main hall, vermilion-lacquered lantern towers several dozen feet high had been erected, wrapped in colorful silk and shining brilliantly. It was a beautiful sight.
Ye Qingyuan walked along the stone steps toward Xiaoyao Peak, his gaze sweeping over the red silk tied along the road.
He inwardly calculated how many Spirit Stones such a layout would cost.
Suddenly, he raised his hand and stopped a passing female disciple.
“Qianqian, long time no see.”
“Wow, Sect Master! You’re back!”
The one he stopped was Lin Qianqian. A red and gold hair accessory was pinned to her green side braid, making her look exceptionally festive.
Seeing the old Sect Master who had been away for half a month, she raised her voice in surprise.
“Sect Master, was the trip to the South Sea fun? Did you see any rare treasures?”
“Ho ho, this old man didn’t go there for a vacation.”
The old Sect Master stroked his beard and shook his head, tentatively asking, “By the way, Qianqian, these decorations in the sect are…?”
“Oh, the Acting Sect Master, Senior Sister Yun, organized it—I heard it was Daoist Friend Hua’s idea!”
Lin Qianqian said with a beaming smile, “What do you think? Doesn’t it have a special New Year feel? Isn’t it beautiful?”
“…I wanted to ask, how many Spirit Stones were spent on this…” Ye Qingyuan asked tactfully.
“Ah, Sect Master is talking about that!” Lin Qianqian realized. “Most of the Spirit Stones were provided by Daoist Friend Hua herself. She said that since it was her idea, the sect shouldn’t have to pay for it. Of course, we also contributed a bit—is something wrong, Sect Master?”
Whew…
Hearing that it was mostly at Hua Yan’s own expense, Ye Qingyuan finally breathed a long sigh of relief, his heart settling back into his chest.
“It’s nothing, nothing. Qianqian, go back to your business. I’m going to find Elder Ji. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Sect Master! Goodbye, Sect Master!”
After saying goodbye to Lin Qianqian, Ye Qingyuan didn’t delay any longer. He took to the air and flew directly toward Danxia Peak.
“Sect—Sect Master Grandpa! You’re back?”
As soon as he landed on the decorated square of Danxia Peak, a small figure crashed into his line of sight.
The girl had a pair of fluffy rabbit ears and wore a small red quilted jacket with embroidery, looking just like a doll from a New Year painting. It was Ning Shiliu.
“Little Sixteen, hello there.”
The old Sect Master chuckled and rubbed her head, asking gently, “Is your Peak Master here?”
“Elder Ji is in the pharmacy! Sect Master Grandpa, should I take you there?” Ning Shiliu looked up, her voice crisp.
“No need, no need. I can go myself.”
Ye Qingyuan waved his hand, crossed the decorated square, avoided the joyous disciples, and headed straight for the pharmacy where Ji Ling was.
“Come in.”
Ji Ling’s voice came faintly from behind a wooden door decorated with a “Good Fortune” character.
“Do you need something?”
She was still in her black robes, holding medicinal ingredients in one hand and a balance scale in the other, without even looking up. Upon closer inspection, she was pinching a dark green snake scale with a metallic luster.
Even facing the Sect Master, she didn’t hide her temperament at all; her tone was as blunt as usual.
“Elder Ji, have you officially left your identity as an Evil Cultivator spy behind?” Ye Qingyuan asked softly.
“Didn’t Yun Xuechang send a message to report to you long ago? Why ask this again?” Ji Ling’s tone was cold and stiff.
A silence fell over the pharmacy.
After a moment, Ye Qingyuan spoke slowly, his voice full of the guilt of an old man.
“I’m sorry, Elder Ji. I didn’t consider your feelings. Over the years, I’ve forced you to suppress your hatred and deal with the murderer who killed Changge until now…”
“As the master of a sect, I left without permission. If it weren’t for the prophecy from that child Rongrong, you might have already fallen into the hands of those villains… It’s my fault.”
The master of the Xiaoyao Sword Sect, one of the top cultivators in Shenzhou, actually bent his back and lowered his head in this small pharmacy.
Ji Ling finally looked up.
“Sect Master, there’s no need for that.”
She put down the snake scale and sighed heavily. “Being a spy was my own choice; it had nothing to do with you. As for Jiang Changge’s death… that was after the fact. And as for the South Sea Secret Realm, as the master of a sect, you couldn’t have missed it.”
“But all these years…”
“I’ve complained to you many times over the years, but that’s only human nature.”
Ji Ling stepped down from her seat and helped the old man, who was still bowing, to stand up. “I wanted to gather more intelligence on the Evil Cultivators so I could better avenge Changge.”
“You stopped me from pulling out rashly—whether from the standpoint of the Righteous Path or the sect, you weren’t wrong.”
She paused, her voice dropping a few notches. “Although… when Yun Xuechang came to me with her daughter to tell me I was in danger and advise me to stop, I did feel a long-lost sense of relief.”
“At the moment I killed Qingluo with my own hands… I felt even more refreshed.”
She lowered her eyes, her dark pupils unreadable. “Perhaps, if it weren’t for Rongrong’s prophecy, if Qingluo had used important information to lure me in the future, I might have gone alone even if I knew it might be a trap… I was so tired. Tired enough to want to kill her with my own hands, even if it meant we both died.”
“Elder Ji…” Ye Qingyuan looked at her, his gaze full of concern.
“But now, Sect Master doesn’t need to worry anymore.”
The corner of Ji Ling’s lips curled up ever so slightly—for her, who never smiled, it still looked a bit stiff.
“Qingluo wasn’t the only one who participated in the ambush against Changge. Even though I can’t be a spy now, it doesn’t stop me from continuing to investigate and avenge her.”
She shook her head, her tone slowing down. “Besides… now, I might gradually understand Changge’s state of mind back then. I have ties now, and I don’t want to die so soon.”
“Ties… You mean that child, Sixteen?” Ye Qingyuan was startled for a moment, then he understood.
“Yes,” Ji Ling nodded.
“When I first discovered that the Eight-Turn Soul-Returning Pill had been accidentally eaten by this little rabbit, my heart truly ached. It was you who stopped me, told me to raise her, and even told me to name her.”
“I didn’t want to give this little creature, who had caused me such heavy losses, my own surname. So I used a homophone of my name, ‘Ling’—’Ning’—as her surname. As for Sixteen… she was simply the sixteenth rabbit in that batch of medicine testers.”
A memory surfaced in her eyes, and she smiled slightly. This smile shed her usual gloom, revealing a rare tenderness.
“I just didn’t expect that during the days of raising Sixteen, I would slowly come to treat that shy and timid little creature as my own daughter…”
“Just like Jiang Changge when she brought back Yun Xuechang. At that time, I never understood why she suddenly settled down, or why she would be so dedicated and protective toward a young disciple she picked up from outside.”
“Now… I’m slowly starting to understand.”
The corners of her mouth rose, and a kind light rippled in her eyes. “That is the feeling of becoming a mother for the first time. Having a child, having a tie… that’s how it feels.”
……
On the other side, inside Xiaoyao Hall.
Hua Yan put down the document in her hand and stretched luxuriously.
Even wrapped in thick winter clothes, the girl’s graceful figure could not be hidden. Her features were full of lazy charm.
‘Hehe, while the old Sect Master was away, I’ve really decked out the whole Xiaoyao Sword Sect.’
The corners of her mouth turned up, and a hint of mischief flashed in her pale gold almond eyes.
‘When the New Year comes, I’ll drag Xuechang out for a walk, and then we’ll watch the year pass together. In this festive atmosphere, she’ll definitely be dazed by my charm!’
‘As for now… there’s only one step left!’
Thinking this, she turned her head to look at the cold girl beside her with white hair, who was focused on looking through documents.
After preparing herself mentally, she deliberately cleared her throat, her tone hiding an undetectable hint of nervousness.
“Ahem, Xuechang… I have something to tell you…”
“What is it, Yan’er?”
Yun Xuechang looked up and reached out her well-defined hand to gently brush away the white hair falling by her temple, revealing her long, fair neck and the tips of her small ears.
This scene made Hua Yan’s heart skip a beat, and her breath hitched for a moment.
Hua Yan quickly regained her composure. She feigned calmness, tilting her head and crossing her arms, her lips curving into a tsundere arc.
“Ahem! It’s… it’s just that on New Year’s Eve, I know you’ll definitely invite me. Since you’re so lonely, I’ll show some mercy and…”
“Sorry, Yan’er, I’m busy that day.”
“Since you’re so pitiful, it’s not like I can’t reluctantly accompany—”
Halfway through her sentence, Hua Yan suddenly stopped.
“Eh? What… what did you say…?”
She looked at Yun Xuechang in disbelief, the smile on her face crumbling bit by bit. Her expression looked as if she were so aggrieved she was about to cry.
“I said, I’m busy on New Year’s Eve. Sorry, Yan’er.”
Yun Xuechang turned her head and repeated herself with a serious expression.