Chapter 87: Inner Disciple (Part 5)

Xu Qianyu was pulled out of bed by Hua Qingyu.
As she opened her eyes, she saw a white, grinning skull sticking to the window, and with the thunder and lightning behind her, Xu Qianyu nearly gasped in shock, completely forgetting to be angry. She sat there with her hair in disarray.
“Did you draw the talisman?” Hua Qingyu was completely unaware of how terrifying her appearance was at night. She beckoned with her finger, forcefully “lifting” Xu Qianyu, who had just settled back down. “I sensed the fluctuations of spiritual energy while passing by on duty. Show it to me.”

Half-asleep, Xu Qianyu reached for a piece of paper and drew a Gathering Spirit Talisman in front of Hua Qingyu.
Hua Qingyu tilted her head to watch the time pass, then looked at the swirling vortex above Xu Qianyu’s head.
From total darkness to the first light of dawn breaking on the horizon, the girl drew for a whole hour. But since she was in a meditative state, she thought only a moment had passed and was completely unaware of the time slipping by.
Once the talisman was complete, the vortex expanded to fill the entire room, rich spiritual energy flooded the space, and even the half-dead branch of a flower on the table miraculously blossomed.

Hua Qingyu fell silent.
Only those who could harmonize with the energies of heaven and earth could draw such talismans.
Xu Qianyu had drawn the Gathering Spirit Talisman, but it inadvertently formed a thunderous spirit summoning array. Although she lacked a soul, she was miraculously favored by the will of heaven. Lucky her.
Just then, Xu Qianyu was interrupted from her meditation by a tattered book that fell into her tent. Picking it up, she saw it was titled “Complete Compendium of Efficacious Talismans.”
Hua Qingyu was already gone: “If you can’t memorize it by tomorrow, you’ll have to eat it.”
The talisman book was old and seemed as if it had been dug out of the ground. Xu Qianyu lifted it carefully to avoid dirtying her bed, gingerly flipping through the pages with her fingers. Inside were various talismans, more than a hundred types, making her head spin. How could she possibly memorize them all in one night?
She anxiously flipped through the pages, not knowing how long she had been at it when she heard the sound of rustling outside, finally realizing that it was the time she usually got up. But for some reason, her senior brother hadn’t come to wake her today.

Xu Qianyu jumped out of bed and saw Shen Suwei standing silently at her vanity, quietly arranging two branches of pear blossoms in a vase. His back exuded a distant coldness. “You’re awake?”
Because Shen Suwei hadn’t come to call her, Xu Qianyu felt a bit displeased as she sat at the vanity.
While combing her hair, Shen Suwei didn’t chat with her.

Not only did he not chat with her, but he suddenly quizzed her on her mental techniques and sword techniques.
Xu Qianyu was filled with frustration.

Those were all the sword books that Xu Binglai had given her, amounting to at least a dozen or so books. Her senior brother had designated parts for her to memorize each day, but in the past few days, with drawing symbols and practicing internal energy, she hadn’t had the chance to memorize them, and her mind was filled with the bizarre symbols from the books.
Shen Suwei noticed that she was clueless when asked and did not point it out, but his expression turned slightly cold.

Xu Qianyu was not a lazy person. She had a good memory, and although there were many books, if she divided them up daily, finishing them all would not be difficult.
Unless someone else assigned her homework, encroaching on her time.
Just then, a little boy knocked on the door and said, “Senior Sister Qianyu, Master Wuzhen wants you to come and pay a visit.”
Shen Suwei paused momentarily, then quietly continued to braid her hair. With her hair still unfinished, Xu Qianyu remained seated, puzzled inside: I wonder what Xie Yuzhen wants to see me about?
Shen Suwei meticulously finished braiding her small plait but seemed to forget to pin a flower in it. Xu Qianyu reached for the flower, but suddenly Shen Suwei moved like lightning, covering the flower branch, blocking her: “You can put it in after you come back.”

Being rejected right there was quite embarrassing. Xu Qianyu shot him an unhappy glance, pushed his hand away, and snatched it. Shen Suwei quickly turned his wrist, and almost instinctively, she grabbed nothing but air. He lowered his eyes and fixed the flower: “Hurry there and come back quickly.”
Xu Qianyu had no choice but to follow the little boy.

With her hair still unkempt, she felt quite uncomfortable, even as she sat before Xie Yuzhen, still thinking about it.
After merging the two demonic souls, Xie Yuzhen moved freely, and his cultivation had greatly improved; it was hard to distinguish him from the real Wuzhen. Xie Yuzhen poured her a cup of tea: “Are you doing well in the inner sect?”
Xu Qianyu replied, “Why did you call me here, Master?”
“I like it when you call my name,” Xie Yuzhen said with a smile. “You know who I am, don’t you?”
“Fruit.” He lazily pushed a golden platter over.

It was piled with plenty of fresh melons, fruits, and grapes. Xu Qianyu was no longer interested in this and did not touch it.
“I want to hear about your dreams.” Xie Yuzhen peeled an orange, staring intently at her.
Xu Qianyu took a sip of tea, which tasted bland: “I can’t remember it very clearly.”
This was also the truth.

After all, she had only lived for seventeen years, and her experiences were unremarkable. The memories of this life were so vivid that they had blurred the memories of her past life. She did not want to admit that person was her; she was only focused on moving forward.
“Recently, I thought of something; let me help you remember.” Xie Yuzhen extended his hand, a red string tied to a ceremonial gift spinning in his palm. “Your dreams are our past lives. Xu Qianyu, we were husband and wife in our past life.”

Xu Qianyu did not expect Xie Yuzhen to have regained his memory as well; she nearly choked on her tea: “It’s not as exaggerated as you think. We pretended to be a couple, but that was just for killing demons temporarily; it was fake.”
Her straightforward declaration that “it was fake” shattered Xie Yuzhen’s speculation for several days. He awkwardly looked over, seeing Xu Qianyu’s bright and clear eyes, knowing she was not lying.

Fake… Could it be that the heartache he had felt repeatedly over the past few days was all an illusion?
But even if the wedding was fake, Xu Qianyu’s affection on that day could not have been false.
She remembered more than he did; why did she now seem empty, devoid of that fervent emotion? The ceremonial gift in his hand hurt when squeezed, for having gained it without his knowledge only to lose it again was the most irritating.
“What do you want in Penglai?” Xie Yuzhen looked at her and said, “If you want to cultivate, I can help you. What others can do, I can do too. I’m not worse than your whole sect.”

“What I want is none of your business.” Xu Qianyu recalled how he had taught her to practice swordplay in her past life, all for the sake of another person who conspired against her; now he had swapped her and Lu You’s positions, suddenly infuriating her. She splashed the tea in his face and coldly said, “Even a thing without a shell dares to be brazen and compare itself to my master and senior brother.”
Xie Yuzhen was suddenly splashed with tea and closed his eyes, his long eyelashes trembling, without using a spell to wipe the water from his face.
He couldn’t fully grasp social etiquette, so he didn’t get angry. He only felt that when the young lady got angry with him, it was more vivid than when she had previously ignored him, causing his heart to race.

Lu You, dressed in white, held a mooncake and was greatly surprised to see the little boy leading Xu Qianyu inside. She had been waiting by the door for quite a while, but the room was sealed off, so she could not hear their conversation, making her feel anxious.
Xie Yuzhen had Lu You enter the room and didn’t let her do anything, merely asking her to repeat the tasks she had done before. If she was free, he would ask her to talk about her past life, seemingly eager to recall the memories of the first cycle as soon as possible.
The two spent day and night together without any obstacles, and the approach seemed to have entered an easy mode, but Lu You felt increasingly uneasy.
First, the plot had deviated too much. She already knew that in the world of cultivation, the strong were respected, and one must cultivate to protect oneself, but Xie Yuzhen only taught her when he was in a good mood, so she had to continuously exchange for cultivation methods from the marketplace, and her progress was very slow.

Second, Xie Yuzhen’s expression resembled how he had been in the first cycle: beautiful and dreamy, making her feel anxious and apprehensive.
Xu Qianyu had left, and Lu You finally entered the room. She saw Xie Yuzhen sitting on the couch, his face as radiant as jade, but with a slight confusion in the depths of his dazzling eyes. She hurriedly asked, “Wang, what did you two talk about?”

Xie Yuzhen didn’t answer, looking at the mooncakes in the tray she was holding, picking one up and putting it in his mouth.

The Demon King had never received a day’s worth of human etiquette, but his demeanor was that of a noble young master, extremely captivating. Xie Yuzhen smiled. “It’s very sweet.”
He stared intently at the shy smile of the young girl before him, waiting, and indeed another memory began to surface.

Indeed, it was in the Demon Realm, and the maidens had called Lu You “Your Highness.” The two had met in humble beginnings, walking together, and he had married Lu You as the Demon Queen.
The Demon Queen had sent mooncakes, and they had admired the moon and drunk together by the Sea of Ink. In the end, she asked, “Wang, do you have any unfulfilled wishes?”
He looked at the warm, blood-colored moon and smiled, “Being with you is the best.”
But that night, he clearly had a nightmare. He rose, donned his clothes, and walked barefoot to a cold and deserted palace.

In the palace, there was only a slender sword slanted across the throne, its scabbard white with delicate patterns, shimmering like waves under the cold moonlight.

Blood stains from years past remained on the sword.
He loosened his clothes and wrapped the sword inside his robe, enveloped by a comforting sense of fullness.
He quietly stroked the sword, and on the cold blade lingered the faint aura of Xu Qianyu…

*
After Xu Qianyu left, Shen Suwei sat quietly in front of the dressing table. When she had not returned after a stick of incense burned out, he stood up and walked around her room.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a few new ceramic pots on the windowsill, not knowing what Xu Qianyu was planting; but clearly, she wouldn’t be able to take care of the flowers, as the original pots of orchids from Zhaoyue Palace had already wilted and drooped.
Too much water.

Shen Suwei reached out to remove the excess water that had gathered at the bottom of the pots and set the orchids back in place.
Then, following the aura of great power, he walked to the bed curtain. After hesitating for a moment, he lifted the curtain.
Inside, the quilt was piled high, and no one was there.

He stood still as the dream shadow tube that Xu Qianyu had placed in the quilt rolled off and fell into the gap between the bed and the wall.
However, Shen Suwei’s gaze flashed, and with lightning speed, he bent down and caught it before it could drop.

Wuzhen: “…”

Xu Qianyu had very high standards for her bedding: the curtains needed to block out light while allowing air to circulate; the bedding had to be soft, light, and fragrant. Thus, Shen Suwei followed the softness of Xu Qianyu’s bed, momentarily lost in the delicate fragrance.
The dream shadow tube bounced like a fish from his hand and fell into the crack.
Shen Suwei used his sword energy to forcibly fish it out.

He saw that a gathering spirit talisman was stuck on it, the paper resembling something familiar. He tore it off and turned it over, and sure enough, it was the letter butterfly he had given to Xu Qianyu.
Shen Suwei’s expression remained inscrutable as he held the letter butterfly and pressed the dream shadow tube.
Once again, a powerful spiritual force resisted, refusing to reveal Wuzhen’s shadow.
But Wuzhen probably didn’t expect someone to be so persistent; after a moment, Shen Suwei disregarded the backlash and spat out a mouthful of blood, forcing the shadow in the dream shadow tube to appear, while Wuzhen’s shadow had also faded significantly. Both were injured.

Wuzhen slowly opened his dark eyes and stared at him intently, as if trying to see clearly the appearance of this junior before him.
Shen Suwei’s gaze flickered as he met the gaze of the boy floating in the air.
If the other party’s eyes had flickered, he might have felt a little better, but the other had such clear and righteous eyes, unafraid at all, which made his heart sink.
Wuzhen’s shadow began to disperse, but Shen Suwei did not want to damage someone else’s belongings, so he coldly reapplied the gathering spirit talisman, his face still pale.
Why was it possible to call Xu Qianyu over during the day, yet at night, he still had to leave the dream shadow tube behind for company?
Hearing Xu Qianyu’s footsteps as she returned, Shen Suwei quickly put the dream shadow tube back in its original place and pulled the curtain closed.

Xu Qianyu was extremely fatigued; as she stepped over the threshold while yawning, she saw her senior brother and sat down, turning her dark-haired head toward him, her dangling legs swaying.
The meaning was clear: hurry up and pin the flowers.
After waiting for a while, Shen Suwei in the mirror remained unmoving.
Xu Qianyu grew impatient and reached out to snatch the flowers from his hand. Shen Suwei’s figure flickered, and he unexpectedly dashed out the window with the flowers.
Xu Qianyu: ?

The accumulated anger from that morning was enough to irritate her. She immediately grabbed a wooden sword and chased after him, pointing the sword tip at her senior brother, annoyed, and said, “Give me back my flowers.”
Shen Suwei stood on the railing, his complexion as pale as jade, holding the flowers in his hand, his eyes revealing no joy or anger: “Who said they were yours?”
Xu Qianyu coldly laughed: “They came into my room, were put in my vase. If they’re not mine, then whose are they?”
Seeing him silent, Xu Qianyu felt a wave of frustration rising in her heart and angrily said, “It’s just asking you to help me pick a flower. You even replied late yesterday.”

Then she thought, Could it be that her senior brother was angry because she couldn’t recite the book? Xu Qianyu knew she was in the wrong, but feeling tired and sleepy, she felt wronged and became increasingly stubborn, maliciously retorting, “Fine, then I won’t let you pick flowers in the future.”

Shen Suwei suddenly fixed his gaze on her, casually tossing the flower branch. The branch shot through the window like an arrow and precisely inserted itself back into the vase, causing a shower of snow-white petals to fall.
Xu Qianyu looked back and saw him repeatedly teasing her; her expression darkened as she attacked with her sword. Shen Suwei extended his hand, the iron sword flying into his grasp, blocking her without yielding. The two instantly became entangled in a fierce battle, sweeping past the pond outside and clashing onto the eaves.
The intense fluctuation of spiritual energy caused the clouds above to gradually form a faint swirling vortex, the rosy glow mingling with the thick, dark clouds.

The sword moved like a flurry of urgent rain. Xu Qianyu thrust her sword into Shen Suwei’s tightly woven assault, breaking through the gaps to strike out.
Although she had discovered her senior brother’s weakness, she had never practiced before, and today was the first time. Now, the sword tip truly broke through the barrier, stabbing into Shen Suwei’s shoulder, and seeing the blood gradually stain his snowy robe, Xu Qianyu’s heart jolted, her palms sweating and weakening.
However, Shen Suwei praised, “Well done.”

Saying this, he did not even glance at his wound; a nearly full-powered sword thrust came at her. Xu Qianyu couldn’t dodge in time and fell from the roof, hurriedly grasping the eaves with her hands, and flipped over to stand firm.

Her senior brother was fully engaged in the battle, not giving an inch. His concentrated state affected her, and Xu Qianyu quickly became immersed, forgetting who was opposite her and why they were fighting; all that remained in her vision was a sword.
In the world, a sword bearing azure flames, killing intent blazing.
A thunderous rumble echoed above.
The heavens grew dim and bright, and soon the surroundings became unrecognizable.
In Penglai, summer days often brought sudden rain. Raindrops first fell hesitantly, then a curtain of rain descended from the sky.

The heavy rain poured down!
Shen Suwei finally glanced at Xu Qianyu. The girl was drenched from her head to her skirt; however, she did not stop, her figure agile as a deer, rolling, leaping, and striking, causing the raindrops to fly off like steel needles. Her little braid twirled up, filled with a surge of exuberant energy, her bright black eyes sparkling with joy.

He silently dispelled the water-stopping spell and turned to fight into the curtain of rain.
When Xu Qianyu regained her senses, she suddenly saw that Shen Suwei was also soaked through, and an indescribable power surged up in her heart, pushing her to be even bolder and more unrestrained, to unleash all her strength without holding back.

Shen Suiwei’s sideburns were plastered against his face, his sleeves and long black hair soaked through, merging into a single mass that sank like a sharp blade. With every turn, the sound of his sword cutting through the wind echoed sharply, exuding an intense sharpness.
Xu Qianyu gazed at him, as if viewing flowers in the mist: in the rain, the black was even darker, the blood-red on his shoulder more vibrant, and the sword intent in his eyes brighter, like an Asura bathed in water. He didn’t need many expressions to be intimidating; his presence was already breathtaking and soul-stirring.
It was unclear how long the rain had been falling.

Before Xu Qianyu, the view was sometimes bright, sometimes blurred. The rain was so heavy that she could barely see the person across from her, only sensing the sword.
In the final strike, there was a sudden crack, and Xu Qianyu felt the seemingly unbreakable spiritual barrier in front of her suddenly shatter, causing all her strength to drain away like water into the East Sea. She stumbled forward, and Shen Suiwei caught her.
She looked at the half-sword in her senior brother’s hand in surprise.
Shen Suiwei was not particularly surprised. He picked up the broken sword and said, “You won.”
Xu Qianyu’s heart had not yet calmed down; she felt that her victory was too sudden, not quite satisfying.
The two retreated under the eaves, and only then did Xu Qianyu clearly see the bloodstained half of his body, looking quite disheveled. “Senior brother, your wound…”
“It’s nothing,” Shen Suiwei replied without looking at her, gazing at the curtain of rain, softly saying, “You did very well today.”

Xu Qianyu stared at the half-sword he held, thinking that in the end, it wasn’t that she was strong; it was that her senior brother’s sword was too weak to withstand such sword intent, resulting in its unexpected break. She felt somewhat undeserving of her victory.
Since he had given her his life sword, Shen Suiwei had randomly drawn swords from the sword case every day, not knowing how many he had broken.
None of those swords were worthy of a swordsman like her senior brother, and as a sword cultivator, Xu Qianyu always felt uneasy watching this.
“Senior brother, wait for me a moment,” she said, then dashed into the rain.
Shen Suiwei wanted to stop her, but she had already leaped back into the pavilion.
After a moment, Xu Qianyu emerged from the rain, holding a long, narrow box.
Shen Suiwei observed its shape, suspecting something but couldn’t believe it, standing there in shock.

She ran up to him, opened the lid, and took out a slender, sharp sword, looking at him with anxious, jewel-like eyes.
“Senior brother, that day when you let me borrow the space in your realm, I promised I would return with something you’d like.”
This sword was one she had fought hard to obtain in the Flower Realm, guarding it with her life.
She hadn’t wanted to give it to anyone else, yet here she was… giving it to him.
“This sword, I…” When he saw Xu Qianyu getting nervous and stumbling over her words at a critical moment, he waited a long time but couldn’t utter a single “I give this to you,” feeling both the desire to give and receive.
Shen Suiwei looked at her, suddenly extending his hand to her and lifting his sleeve.
On his wrist was a section of the scarlet skirt that Xu Qianyu had cut off, tied into a red ribbon. That day she had said that having received a favor from “Sister,” she would mark it and return it when they met again.
Shen Suiwei took it off and handed it to her, saying, “Can I exchange this for it?”
Xu Qianyu took the red ribbon he offered, then saw him extend his hand again. “Give it to me.”
Xu Qianyu dazedly handed over the sword.
Shen Suiwei took the slender sword, unsheathing it to test it. The sword light flashed like lightning, dazzling to the eye.
He returned the sword to its sheath and, catching sight of Xu Qianyu’s flushed face, remarked lightly, “You’ve finished giving it; there’s no need to be nervous.”

Xu Qianyu: “…”

“Go back and change your clothes.” After saying this, he stepped into the curtain of rain, holding the sword.
The cold raindrops rolled over his ears, reminding him that his face was also a bit flushed.
However, Xu Qianyu watched the red ribbon stop in place for a moment, suddenly feeling it was not right, and immediately chased after him, grabbing his hand.
“That’s not right,” she said, rolling up Shen Suiwei’s left sleeve and retying the red ribbon. “This is two favors; they’re not the same thing.”
But halfway through, she felt that having such a thing tied to a swordsman didn’t look good, so she hesitated to untie it again.

But her hand was suddenly pressed down by a cold hand.
Shen Suiwei lowered his eyes and asked, “Are you denying it again?”
Xu Qianyu replied, “Who said I’m denying it?”
“Then fine.” Shen Suiwei’s long fingers moved skillfully, tying the red ribbon back in place, looking at her, his thin lips slightly moving. “Remember to return it later.”