Chapter 12: A Letter to the Family

The Sword Sovereign of the Clouds fell into deep thought after hearing her words.

“Do you want me to lead the way?” Su Yanwei offered considerately, her small face full of innocence and thoughtfulness.

The Sword Sovereign shot her a sidelong glance.

“You know the way?”

A child who’s never walked farther than outside her own doorstep dares talk so big, where do you get this confidence?

Feeling underestimated!

Su Yanwei immediately felt indignant. She pouted and said,

“Don’t look down on me! I may not have traveled far, but I know how to get there.”

“I’ve read the Recluse of Mirror Lake’s travel writings over and over again. Every word and every place in them, I know them by heart.”
She said proudly,
“The Recluse loved riddles, and solving riddles just happens to be my favorite thing.”

When she was young, her health was very poor, so poor she couldn’t even get out of bed.
All she could do was lie there and rest. Out of sheer boredom, she loved reading books, because that was all she could do.
Her favorites were travel journals and miscellaneous writings about adventuring through secret realms with a sword.

Because in those stories, she could see all kinds of scenery, local customs, and meet all sorts of people.

Among them, the Travel Writings of the Recluse of Mirror Lake were her absolute favorite, because this person had truly traveled everywhere, had constant strange encounters, and often wandered into mysterious places full of wonders and things unheard of.
It was fascinating and eye-opening.

It was precisely because of this that most people in the cultivation world thought the Travel Writings were fictional stories he’d made up.

But Su Yanwei believed they were real.
She had carefully compared and studied them, and discovered that many places and landscapes he described did exist in the real cultivation world, you just had to read closely and solve the riddles.
Because the author loved riddles so much, everything was a mix of real and fake. Only by cracking the riddles could you glimpse the truth beneath.

The Sword Sovereign noticed her lips were slightly curled up in pride, though she tried to hide it and pretend to be reserved.

“I’m not bragging,” she said, “but I dare say no one in this world understands the Recluse of Mirror Lake better than me.”

“Although we never met, I’ve admired him for a long time.
Through his writings, following in his footsteps, I’ve seen his life and adventures. I know him.”

Ah, the Sword Sovereign thought, a true fan.

“Then I was blind not to see it,” the Sword Sovereign admitted cheerfully.
“In that case, I’ll trouble you, my disciple, to lead the way.”

Su Yanwei puffed out her tiny chest, promising confidently:

“No problem! Leave it to me!”

“But,” she added, blinking her big black eyes and looking up at the Sword Sovereign,
“Before we set off for Shouyang Mountain, I have a small personal matter to handle.”

“Master,” she asked sweetly, “do you have time to help your disciple with it?”

The Sword Sovereign looked at her, his mouth slightly curved.

“What silly thing are you saying, disciple? Of course, your master isn’t stingy about helping you with a little trouble.”

Su Yanwei smiled sweetly.

“Then I’ll trouble you, Master.”

“I’m a filial child,” she said earnestly.
“Even though I plan to run away from home, I don’t want to leave without a word, I don’t want my father and mother to worry.
So I’m planning to go home first, leave them a letter, and then leave.”

She looked up at the Sword Sovereign, as obedient and sweet as could be.

“As the saying goes, it’s easier to do things after dark.
When the time comes, I’ll trouble you, Master, to come pick me up!”

The Sword Sovereign: …

He gave her a look.

“A good child shouldn’t run away from home.”

“That’s old-fashioned thinking!” Su Yanwei retorted disdainfully.
“Who says good children can’t run away?
Just say it, will you help or not?”

She had the look of: If you won’t help, I’ll make a scene.

The Sword Sovereign sighed.

“Fine, fine, fine, how could I not?”

“I’ve already boarded your pirate ship; even if I wanted to get off now, it’s too late… sigh.”

Hmph!

Su Yanwei sneered inwardly: Getting a bargain and still pretending to be wronged!

“Then it’s settled!” she declared firmly, cutting off any chance of him going back on his word.

She hopped off her stool.

“See you tonight!”

And with that, she turned and ran off, her footsteps pattering quickly away.

The Sword Sovereign shook his head and sighed.

This time, it was a real sigh.
Taking in such a mischievous little disciple, he could already see his peaceful days were over.

---

Su Residence.

Su Yanwei skipped happily back home, her whole being radiating joy.

A maid came to report,

“Master and Madam are entertaining guests tonight; they may not be able to have dinner with Young Miss.”

“That’s fine, I can eat dinner alone.” Su Yanwei didn’t mind.
“Don’t bother Father and Mother.”

When the maid left, Su Yanwei sat on a chair in her room.
Her expression fell, and she looked pensive.

After a long time, she murmured to herself:

“That’s fine too…
If I saw them, I might lose my resolve.”

“When something must be cut off, cut it decisively don’t be indecisive!”

---

At night.

The flickering candlelight illuminated the study.

A small figure leaned over the table, holding a brush in her little hand, carefully writing each word.

Su Yanwei was writing the letter she would leave for her parents.
She tried hard to express her thoughts and her wishes hoping for their understanding, support, and acceptance.

But she was a coward.
She didn’t dare tell them face-to-face, so she did it secretly instead, act first, explain later.

She was terrified of rejection, of scolding, of being forbidden.
Just imagining it made her feel unbearably sad.
So she chose to leave a letter in secret.
I really have been spoiled, she thought.

As she felt sad, she kept writing.

She didn’t know how long she had been writing when suddenly, from outside the window, came a rhythmic knocking sound:

knock knock knock.

She quickly put down the brush, rubbed her face to force out a smile, and stood up.
She placed the letter into an envelope and set a paperweight on top of it.

When she turned and ran to open the window, she was once again the carefree, sunny Su Yanwei.

“You finally came!” Su Yanwei looked at the Sword Sovereign outside the window and complained in a small voice,
“I waited for you so long!”

The Sword Sovereign noticed the slight redness around her eyes but didn’t mention it.

“Your house is quite large it took some time to find you.”

“Oh.” Su Yanwei thought he was making excuses.
As if a mere Su Residence could be bigger than his sect’s spiritual peak on Shushan?

But she didn’t argue with him.
Instead, she said:

“Catch me!”

“?”

At first, the Sword Sovereign didn’t understand what she meant.
Then he saw her lift her little dress, quickly and skillfully climb up onto the windowsill and without a word, jump down.

“……”

Seeing the little girl jump out the window, the Sword Sovereign instinctively reached out his hand.
She landed heavily in his hand.

He caught her!

Feeling the weight in his palm, he relaxed.

“You caught me!”

He looked down and saw the girl in his arms smiling brilliantly, her little face tilted up to look at him, eyes full of mischief and triumph.

As if to say:

You fell for it!

Like a little mouse that had just stolen a sip of oil.