Chapter 56: The Refining Furnace (Part 11)

The moment Xu Qianyu lit the fire striker, she clearly saw Yu Chu sitting in the corner of the confinement room, hugging her knees, pouting, with tears welling in her eyes—a look of utter despair.
But upon seeing her, Yu Chu quickly wiped away her tears and turned her back. “Why are you here? Leave.”

Xu Qianyu replied, “I’m not leaving unless you explain things to me.”
Yu Chu said, “Honestly, I don’t know. I fainted back then. When I woke up, I saw that Chen Duo was being carried away, covered in blood. I’m not sure if I was the one who hurt him.”
“Can you think a little more clearly?” Xu Qianyu said. “Chen Duo’s meridians were severed. Even I couldn’t do that. You’re giving yourself too much credit.”

Yu Chu fell silent, not arguing back, as if right and wrong didn’t matter much to her. “Miss, please just leave. You still need to participate in the Water Moon Flower Realm; you can’t be affected by this.”
Xu Qianyu gripped the bars, looking confused. “Aren’t you going, too?”
“I know you’re determined to enter the inner sect. If you’re implicated and miss the selection, wouldn’t that be a waste?” Yu Chu turned to look at her, her pale face showing an unusual numbness. “It doesn’t matter to me. If they’ve accused me wrongly, they’ll release me sooner or later. I’m not concerned about these things. If I miss it this year, I can just wait until next year. I just don’t want anyone to interfere with you—no one should affect you.”

Xu Qianyu had always thought Yu Chu was weak-willed, but today, in the flickering firelight, she saw a trace of stubbornness in the girl’s dark eyes.
Xu Qianyu gazed at her for a long moment, feeling something hard within her melt in this heat, and, for once, she relented. “Then tell me everything that happened, and I’ll leave once I hear it. If I hadn’t invited you to that meal, you wouldn’t be in this situation. I bear some responsibility.”
When she heard that “Miss Lu” had been involved, Xu Qianyu had a pretty good idea of who was behind this. She blew out the flame on her fire striker and said, “I understand. Give it a couple of days, and you’ll be released. Don’t admit to anything rashly, or you’ll have to answer to me.”
With that, she turned to leave. But as she reached the end of the narrow hall of the Discipline Hall, torches flared around her, revealing a ghostly, white-cloaked figure blocking her path.
Hua Qingyu’s seductive voice rang out, “Oh, where do you think you’re going? Do you think this is your house, coming and going as you please in the Discipline Hall?”
It seemed she couldn’t avoid running into her old enemies.
Hua Qingyu took a step closer. Just as Senior Sister Bai Xue had said, this ghastly creature enjoyed troubling pretty girls. Seeing Xu Qianyu’s face, she let out a sinister laugh. “You’re quite bold, showing up before I even summoned you. Guards—”
“What right do you have to summon me?” Xu Qianyu interrupted. “This has nothing to do with me.”
“Can you say where you were in the first half of the night?”
“In the Water Moon Flower Realm.”

Hua Qingyu was momentarily stunned, then seized on her words. “Do you not know that entering the Water Moon Flower Realm within three days of the selection is forbidden? Violating the rules yet still wanting to participate in the inner sect selection—I’ll disqualify you immediately.”
“I didn’t break any rules.” Xu Qianyu lifted her chin, her eyes bright as she met Hua Qingyu’s gaze. “The sect only prohibits entering the Water Moon Flower Realm within three days of the selection. I left at midnight. I rode Senior Brother Ruan’s giant kite to cross the Penglai barrier. The entry and exit times can be verified by the barrier’s records.”
Her words were flawless and left no room for argument. Hua Qingyu was momentarily speechless, realizing that the nearby servants were witnessing her humiliation. Her gaze turned murderous. But Xu Qianyu pressed her advantage, saying, “Elder Hua, there’s no rule stating that disciples cannot be out at night, correct?”
Hua Qingyu, known for her cruelty and vengefulness, laughed coldly. “Then what about breaking into the confinement room at night?”
“I didn’t break in; the senior brothers and sisters at the entrance let me in.”
“Who let you in?” Hua Qingyu turned back, and the guards lowered their heads, remaining silent. “I say you broke in, so you broke in.”
Xu Qianyu held a senior brother’s token in her hand, standing straight. She didn’t reveal it, fearing he’d be punished for helping her.
“Visiting a guilty disciple—who’s to say you weren’t there to collude on your stories? You’re not leaving today; you’ll stay under observation.”

Xu Qianyu knew she couldn’t fall into Hua Qingyu’s hands. “Have you even investigated before convicting Yu Chu? For such a big sect, your investigation efficiency is worse than a mundane courthouse.”
“Stop provoking me,” Hua Qingyu said. “If you want things done quickly, I can just search Yu Chu’s soul. Then we’ll know immediately if she’s guilty.”
“No!” Soul-searching would severely damage one’s consciousness. Even if it proved her innocence, it could affect her performance in the Water Moon Flower Realm.
“You object to everything. Then you’ll just have to wait,” Hua Qingyu sneered, knowing exactly what Xu Qianyu cared about. “I’m just an elder of the Discipline Hall; I don’t care about your inner sect selection. If you miss it this year, just wait for the next.”
Xu Qianyu took a deep breath, appearing to submit as she said quietly, “Elder Hua, may we speak privately in the punishment room?”
Hua Qingyu, unsure of Xu Qianyu’s intent, crossed her arms and followed her to the punishment room. Once inside, with no one around, Xu Qianyu looked out, then suddenly turned back and clawed at Hua Qingyu’s face.
She moved quickly, her small form darting like a shadow. Although Hua Qingyu was startled, she only leaned back slightly.
Hua Qingyu, a master of talismanic spells, didn’t need to lift a hand. Eight golden talismans flew out from her sleeves, forming a defensive formation in mid-air, creating a golden shield that repelled Xu Qianyu, pushing her back.
Xu Qianyu steadied herself, rubbing her fingers, slightly disappointed. Her current cultivation level was too low; she hadn’t even managed to scratch Hua Qingyu’s face.
This sudden attack activated the pillars in the punishment room, causing iron humanoid puppets to emerge. Two of them restrained Xu Qianyu, while the other two began chanting incantations and drawing formations.

Xu Qianyu had heard that the punishment room was equipped with illusion puppets and a teleportation array. This was to prevent powerful disciples from resisting the guards. Upon detecting hostile intent beyond the authority of the Discipline Whip, the array would immediately summon a high-ranking enforcer.
Hua Qingyu, realizing Xu Qianyu had planned to summon reinforcements, hurriedly raised the discipline whip to strike the chanting puppet, but it was too late. Her powerful talisman shield made it appear that the altercation required a senior figure’s intervention. A flash of white light appeared on the teleportation array, and Elder Lin Jin from the Disciples’ Hall arrived.
Lin Jin looked at Hua Qingyu and then at Xu Qianyu, who was restrained by the puppets. “What’s going on here?”
Xu Qianyu, calm until now, saw Lin Jin and immediately struggled like a fish out of water, calling out, “It was me! I scratched Elder Hua’s face!”
Hua Qingyu fumed, “You!”
What scratching? This outer sect disciple was exaggerating—she’d barely touched her before being thrown back.
Lin Jin was at a loss for words, unsure whether to commend Xu Qianyu’s boldness or question why Hua Qingyu’s face was worth scratching in the first place—so hard it might break her nails.
Lin Jin turned to Xu Qianyu and asked, “Why did you scratch Elder Hua’s face?”
Xu Qianyu thought for a moment. “Last night, I had a dream. In it, Elder Hua was chasing me, and her fingernails scratched my face. So even though she doesn’t have a face, I had to scratch her back—”
Lin Jin hurriedly silenced Xu Qianyu, bowing to the fuming Hua Qingyu. “Her words are out of line. Elder Hua, don’t be upset. This disciple defied authority and attacked an elder. According to the rules, I’ll take her to the sect master for judgment immediately.”

The three talisman papers transformed into a golden sword, held by Hua Qingyu, who swung it in a slanting slash. She had a strained relationship with Xu Binglai, and anything that made her unhappy brought him pleasure. Naturally, she didn’t want Lin Jin to take Xu Qianyu away, so they would definitely cover it up: “Don’t think I don’t know—you and the Sect Leader are two peas in a pod.”
Lin Jin, holding Xu Qianyu in his left hand, opened his folding fan and blocked the sword as if he had eyes in the back of his head. After a moment, he closed the fan, his battle spirit fading, revealing a pair of elegant, fox-like eyes filled with mirth. “You can insult me all you want, but the Sect Leader still deserves respect.”
Hua Qingyu left with a dark cloud overhead, scattering the disciples around her in fright. “What are you looking at?”
At that moment, she recalled the strange dream Xu Qianyu had made up—it was as if it had actually happened somewhere, sometime.
She was a demon cultivator by origin, with an extreme temperament. If she saw a beautiful but useless person, she wouldn’t be able to resist scratching their face.

*

Xu Binglai was conversing with Shen Suwei indoors. Xu Qianyu knelt outside the curtain. Shen Suwei was about to leave, but Xu Binglai didn’t allow it, and only after finishing their conversation did he pay attention to Xu Qianyu. He then called him to stand within the curtain and observe.
Xu Qianyu, aware that he had caused trouble, was particularly well-behaved. Xu Binglai looked at the quiet, kneeling figure behind the curtain and clicked his tongue in surprise; it was hard to believe that this was the same unruly girl who once tried to tear down walls. His first words, surprisingly, were not to reprimand, but he laughed, “Hey, why aren’t you shouting at me to let your good sister go?”
Xu Qianyu looked up at him strangely. “If I did, would you let her go?”
With Xu Binglai’s nature, he would have righteously declared something like, “Just because you’re my daughter doesn’t mean you can ignore the rules.” He wouldn’t do it, but he’d make a show of it. Pointless efforts were not her style.
Her calmness was due to the fact that this was already much faster than she’d anticipated. Seeing the Sect Leader was difficult—what could be quicker than being escorted directly to him? She could wait a bit.
Besides, he knew of her close relationship with Yu Chu, and his playful tone suggested he was well aware of Chen Duo’s situation. Since it wasn’t too serious, she relaxed—Yu Chu’s Water Moonlight Flower Realm could be saved.

Xu Binglai was pleased. “Of course not. It’s good that you know the rules.” He adjusted his glasses and scolded, “Why provoke Hua Qingyu?”
With her overbearing nature, even hearing her voice made him want to strike her; they had been at odds for ages. Lin Jin had reported that Xu Qianyu scratched Hua Qingyu’s face and Xu Binglai, while sipping tea, held back his reaction, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction.
Thus, at this moment, when he looked at Xu Qianyu, he found her more agreeable and even felt like being indulgent. He waved her over, “Come here. Just in time—I have a moment. Let me see your sword.”
Xu Qianyu hesitated, then removed her wooden sword and presented it with both hands.
Xu Binglai was an expert in weaponry, with a discerning eye for swords. After the lesson with Xiangjian, Xu Qianyu had long wanted him to check whether the wooden sword from her maternal grandfather was suitable for her. If it wasn’t compatible, she would treasure it in a box and select another as her destined sword.

Seeing it was a wooden sword, Xu Binglai looked displeased. Apart from beginners, few used wooden swords; wood was too gentle, lacking the offensive power of metal or iron. Wooden swords weren’t forged but carved, seemingly a casual creation. If it was crude, she’d need to find another.
He unsheathed a bit of the sword, his expression suddenly changing.
As the wooden sword was drawn, it rang with a resonant sound. The angle was sharp and precise. If this was a casual creation, then it was crafted by a century-old swordmaster, with each cut deliberate and uncompromising, embodying a lifetime of techniques and swordsmanship within these sharp strokes.
Xu Binglai inspected the sword for a long time, then handed it to Shen Suwei, who stood by.
Since Xu Qianyu didn’t know anyone was behind the curtain, Shen Suwei transmitted his voice: “What does Master mean?”
“You once said this sword made you uneasy,” Xu Binglai said. “I want to see what’s strange about it.”
Shen Suwei replied, “Disciple is unharmed.”
“How can you be unharmed? If it conflicts with you, I’ll break it. Swords can be replaced, but where can I find another person?”
“No,” Shen Suwei, understanding the sword’s significance to Xu Qianyu, quickly took it. Although he’d seen Xu Qianyu use it several times, this was his first time touching it. As soon as he gripped the wooden sword, he felt a piercing pain.

His “realm” shattered and collapsed in that agony.
No, he realized a moment later, his realm was intact. What he was seeing was all a vivid illusion.
In this illusion, his realm shattered; he must have endured a fierce battle, sustaining severe injuries. Ice and snow melted in his domain, and he reached inside, pulling out a stick of candied hawthorn.
The sugar coating melted, irreversibly dripping onto his pale hand. He handed the half-melted treat to another.

Due to the illusion, the person’s face was an unknown blur.
She accepted it. But a moment later, the hawthorn fell to the ground.
She hadn’t taken a single bite.
“You’re crazy,” he heard himself say calmly.
The other person didn’t reply. Her hand reached up, rough and cold, unsettling him. Outside, thunder and lightning filled the air, which became unbearably oppressive. He didn’t resist, letting her touch him.
He knew that remark was a judgment on himself.
By then, he had likely entered the Way, devoid of emotional perception, discerning only right from wrong, yes or no, through actions.

He saw the drug in the tea, lifted it, and drank it without hesitation. He only killed but never humiliated, yet when the person fell before him, he lightly slapped her face, then lifted her by the collar, observing her reaction.
Everything was unusual, every choice wrong.
Given his knowledge of himself, this must have been a desperate quest for an answer, pushing everything else aside.
What answer? He wanted to see how far she could go.
She left through the window, leaving behind a floor bathed in frosty moonlight.
The rain poured, its chill sweeping into the pavilion.

He smelled a faint fragrance of mist and smiled. In a moment, his unfeeling heart cracked, sinking into his realm.
“Suwei.” Xu Binglai saw him silent and called his name.
Shen Suwei looked at the sword in his hand and made a judgment: this sword had once tasted his blood, meaning it was in opposition to him. It wouldn’t necessarily harm him, but it would continuously provoke him, causing him to experience illusory demons.
These illusions were related to path obstruction—a bad omen.
Yet he showed no reaction and first asked, “Master, what do you think of this sword?”
“For others, it might be fine.” Xu Binglai’s gaze was sharp. “Xu Qianyu has too fierce a temperament, and her life force is tinged with blood. The sharper the metal sword she uses, the more it would lead to mutual destruction. Only a wooden sword could accommodate her.”
Shen Suwei looked ahead. Xu Qianyu was kneeling outside the curtain, looking a bit anxious as she timidly peeked in, her ears twitching slightly, casting a lively shadow.
Shen Suwei handed the sword back. “I, too, think it’s quite good.”
Apart from clashing with him, this sword was sharp yet harmonious, embodying simplicity, indeed a fine sword. The skill of the one who forged it far surpassed his own.

Under his long lashes, his eyes remained calm. Mystical and eerie things had never frightened him, nor was he intimidated by a young girl’s sword.
Xu Binglai felt everything was proceeding smoothly and, in a good mood, asked, “Xu Qianyu, what was it you said that day?”
Xu Qianyu was puzzled. “Which words?”
Xu Binglai mockingly mimicked her tone: “You know, ‘I want to enter the inner sect.'”
Xu Qianyu thought to herself that she hadn’t used that tone at all! She quickly interrupted him, straightened up, and declared, “I want to enter the inner sect, and I want Shen Suwei to be my senior brother!”
The girl’s voice was bold and slightly spoiled, but clear and resolute, like gems striking the ground.
“Did you hear that?”
Shen Suwei’s grip on the chair tightened.

However, Xu Binglai seemed dissatisfied with the tone and squinted. “Hey, why didn’t you mention making me your master?”
Xu Qianyu’s long lashes trembled slightly as she murmured, “Isn’t it the same thing?”
Without the aid of alcohol this time, she couldn’t bring herself to say, “I want you to be my master,” directly. It was too awkward. Luckily, her senior brother wasn’t around, so she could shout it out instead.
“Master, what do you think of my sword?”
Through the gap in the curtain, she reached out and gripped half the blade. “Take it; it’s acceptable.”
Xu Qianyu was overjoyed, understanding that this was as good as approval. Now, she could carry her grandfather’s spirit with her as she ventured into the world.

As she took the sword, she couldn’t resist peeking through the curtain to see Xu Binglai’s eyes and softly asking, “Is Senior Brother well?”
Xu Binglai looked down at her, generally disliking when people tried to intrude into his domain. However, seeing Xu Qianyu’s wide-eyed, pleading gaze through the slit, he found her oddly endearing.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the kind of endearing quality in a girl. In his youth, he’d enjoyed fluffy spiritual beasts—perhaps it was that innocent, lively appeal he saw.
He quickly drew the curtain shut, gently blocking her view. “Did I give you permission to enter the inner sect? And what’s with that hair? It looks like horns—change it.”
Xu Qianyu drew her head back, feeling frustrated.

Xu Binglai glanced at Shen Suwei with interest. “She asked you a question. Won’t you answer?”
Shen Suwei’s gaze lowered, and his eyelashes trembled slightly. For once, he appeared somewhat uncomfortable.
Not wanting to be outdone, Xu Binglai turned back to Xu Qianyu and said, “It doesn’t concern you; just prepare for the selection.”
“Thank you, Master.” Actually, she had sent a spirit butterfly with a letter of inquiry before, but it hadn’t returned. Perhaps her senior brother was deeply focused on his retreat and didn’t wish to be disturbed.
“Anything else? If not, off you go.”

“Master.” Seeing that he wasn’t reprimanding her, Xu Qianyu seized the opportunity. “Then, can I plead for mercy on Yu Chu’s behalf now?”
Xu Binglai’s smile faded slightly. “We already know it wasn’t her. Xu Jiansu has gone to apprehend the real culprit, but hasn’t caught them yet. Right now, Chen Duo is adamant about accusing you two, so we’re holding you temporarily. What else do you want?”
“Within the sect, accusing a disciple without proof and delaying the inner sect selection would dishearten us all. In the future, if anyone becomes jealous and uses this tactic to make others miss opportunities, how will fairness be ensured? I want you to allow us entry to the Water Moon Flower Realm first. Punish us only if we are truly at fault.”
Xu Binglai paused. “Fine, if it pleases you.”
“Your word isn’t enough. I want it in writing! I want a directive with your seal!”
Xu Binglai, annoyed, pressed his temples. “Stop pushing your luck!”
Xu Qianyu was still murmuring something when he grabbed a brush. Looking back, he saw Shen Suwei had already picked up the seal, and, feeling somewhat irritable, Xu Binglai mocked, “You’re quite obedient, aren’t you? Come on, stamp it then.”

Without a word, Shen Suwei sealed the directive.
Xu Qianyu clutched the decree and dashed out. Feeling the wind brush against her cheeks, she noticed a golden spirit butterfly fluttering toward her, landing gently on her shoulder.
She looked down, and the butterfly transformed into a slip of paper, falling into her hand.
It read, “All is well. No need to worry.”