Chapter 003

【Available romance option: Jiang Lingfeng.

He is your sister’s—Shen Zhaoyang’s—eldest senior apprentice brother. Gifted and exceptionally talented from a young age, he joined the Hidden Sword Sect at six years old. Within just a few decades, he became the most renowned Sword Sovereign of the sect, truly a prodigy favored by heaven. In the original story, through long companionship with Shen Zhaoyang, they gradually developed feelings for each other, but he never realized his own emotions before he died.】

But the girl walked straight through the light screen without even glancing at it.

—Taxue was frightened and leapt out of her arms. The small black cat’s body burst with astonishing vitality as it limped away, disappearing instantly into the night.

Panic and the fear of loss flooded her heart in an instant.

Zhaoxue opened her mouth: “Taxue—” but before she could say anything, a cold wind blew directly into her mouth, causing her to cough up blood.

Yet she did not stop.

She hurried forward, almost breaking into a run. The metallic taste of blood lingered in her mouth, and her vision darkened.

The system urgently warned: 【Be careful!!】

Zhaoxue’s footing gave way.

Her consciousness blanked for a moment. When she came to, the icy lake water was engulfing her, pulling her down toward the bottom.

Splash—

Only then did Zhaoxue realize she had fallen into the lake. She stared blankly as talisman papers blown by the wind landed on the surface, slowly soaking through and turning to useless scraps.

There was no sign of Taxue nearby.

Then she sank deeper, the cold seeping into every bone and muscle, piercing her to the core.

Zhaoxue closed her eyes.

—

“What’s this?”

The boy curiously leaned closer. The small black cat immediately stretched out a paw, trying to leave a scratch on his face. He quickly pulled back.

“I found it.” Zhaoxue held the black cat, lowered her head to gently rub its head, then looked up at the cautious boy. “Want to pet it?”

“It won’t let me.” Ji Xueshou stared at the cat.

Zhaoxue slipped her hands under the cat’s armpits, picked it up. The kitten curled its tail, seeming unwilling but resigned.

“…So obedient.” Ji Xueshou carefully reached out to scratch its chin, but the cat just glared at him. Its paws were held by Zhaoxue, unable to move, so he scratched a couple more times.

“Good, right?” Zhaoxue pressed her lips together, as if trying to suppress a smile. “It only listens to me. It runs far away whenever it hears someone else’s footsteps.”

The kitten’s tail flicked twice.

“But if you spend more time with it, it definitely won’t be afraid of you.”

Zhaoxue’s voice lowered as she said, “I’m a little allergic to cat fur… Not very serious, but my family doesn’t allow me to keep it.”

Ji Xueshou’s movements paused for a moment.

“So, can I ask you to take care of it? Just bring it to see me when you come to visit.”

“Okay.”

He answered too quickly. Zhaoxue looked up at him in surprise. “You agreed just like that?”

“What?”

“You don’t need to ask your family?”

“They will agree,” Ji Xueshou said.

“…” Zhaoxue’s expression dimmed. She almost forgot—they are different.

“Does it have a name?”

“Kitten?” Zhaoxue pulled the little cat closer and gently stroked its back. The kitten purred comfortably and rubbed against the back of her hand.

Her lowered eyelashes and soft eyes, bathed in the gentle afternoon light, looked as calm and smooth as a shimmering, peaceful pond.

“It has a name. It’s called Taxue.”

Ji Xueshou asked, “Because of its white paws?”

“That’s partly the reason. But more than that,” Zhaoxue squeezed the soft white paw of the black cat, then looked up and smiled at him like a fleeting, brilliantly blooming flower.

“I hope it can live better than I do.”

Happier than me, freer from worries than me, loved more than me.

—

The icy lake water seeped into her nose, and the suffocating feeling engulfed her. Zhaoxue felt dizzy and almost lost consciousness.

…Maybe it’s better to just die like this.

After all, living was like being a silent worm, crushed underfoot without even a sound. Now even her only companion, Taxue, was lost. Waves of pain pierced her heart.

What mission, what male lead, what routes.

If she died, none of that would matter…

The system panicked: “Host, host, don’t do this, I—I have authority, I can save you…”

Before it could finish, a white shadow appeared on the lake surface, diving in like moonlight.

With a splash, the white shadow swam toward Zhaoxue, parting the ripples, bathed in gentle, mottled moonlight.

His long, strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her into his embrace.

The girl was cold and pale all over, looking unconscious, yet she still held onto her instinct to survive. The moment she felt his body heat, she clung tightly to him, her icy soft hands gripping his neck firmly.

Jiang Lingfeng carried her upward toward the water’s surface.

It was truly incredible—despite her clothes being soaked, the girl felt as light as a feather.

She tugged at his collar, her nails unintentionally scratching the back of his neck. Her cheek pressed against his chest, her whole body wrapped tightly around him.

She was like a fragile waterweed at the bottom of the lake that had never seen sunlight—enough to strangle a drowning person.

Fortunately, Jiang Lingfeng knew how to swim.

When they broke the surface, she finally breathed fresh air but immediately choked violently, coughing harshly. The corners of her eyes reddened, but she remained unconscious.

She had been choked so harshly that she still gasped fiercely, her chest rising and falling as she clutched Jiang Lingfeng’s neck tightly: “Let me go… don’t worry about me…”

The man lowered his gaze and saw glistening water droplets sliding down her cheek. Her wet long hair stuck to her ear and neck.

He did not hesitate because of her soft cling, but slightly paused when he noticed a tear welling from her reddened eye corner.

Zhaoxue, barely conscious, choked out a plea in a low, trembling voice:

“Please, don’t worry about me…”

Jiang Lingfeng supported her with one hand, lifting her up. Her burning tears fell onto his neck, feeling especially clear against the cold water. The girl’s sobbing sounded by his ear, hoarse, like hot grains of sand rolling into his ear canal.

“I’m sorry, it’s all my fault.”

“…Let me fend for myself.”

A barely audible sigh fell beside Zhaoxue’s ear.

“On the shore,”

the man said, “Your cat, it’s on the shore.”

From a distance, through layers of blurry shadows and the mist hovering over the lake’s surface, a small soft figure stood at the shore, looking toward the center of the lake.

It was waiting for her.

It seemed that after hearing his words, she stopped struggling and only sobbed quietly. Her breath was like a gentle warm breeze, softly brushing against his neck.

She had become like a little cat, quietly nestled in his arms, with only her chest rising and falling slowly. Yet Jiang Lingfeng could still feel the burning tears soaking into his chest, flowing in waves right over his heart.

—She was still silently crying.

The man cut through the moonlit ripples and swam toward the shore with her. She curled against his chest, seemingly aware she was a burden and dared not speak again. Even her coughs were carefully restrained, her body trembling slightly, the scent of blood drifting into his nose.

Jiang Lingfeng couldn’t help but recall long ago: the scalding sword in his hand, that person’s gradually cooling body, unfocused eyes, silent tears, hoarse coughs mixed with blood foam. In the end, it was no longer a cough, just desperate gasps before death.

At that time, he could do nothing to change it.

Jiang Lingfeng closed his eyes, exhaustion clearly visible between his brows.

“…Not a worm,”

he thought of the girl’s despairing expression back then.

Every word was spoken slowly, he hoped she could hear clearly. With each word, he gently infused her with true energy, trying to ease her pain even if just for a moment.

“To a true cultivator, mortals are not worms. Every life is equally precious.”

His voice was calm and gentle like moonlight.

—

The flickering lights moved toward the shore. Jiang Lingfeng helped the unconscious Zhaoxue onto land. The girl collapsed onto her knees by the shore, spitting out a few mouthfuls of lake water, her body limp and leaning over.

“Sis! Sis!!”

A young girl with double buns dashed out like a little whirlwind, anxiously rushing toward the drenched girl pulled from the water—only to be beaten by another pair of hands catching Zhaoxue faster than hers.

Ji Xueshou’s palm pressed down heavily.

The girl fell into his palm like a thin sheet of paper, her body soaked with water, dripping steadily and wetting the hem of his clothes. She leaned softly against his chest, her face pale, completely free of the usual gloom and defensiveness.

The anxious search for her was finally put to rest.

But seeing her in such a pitiful state made his heart feel like it had been pricked all over by countless needles.

Taxue appeared out of nowhere, looking battered and covered with several wounds, hobbling over. With two soft whimpers, it stubbornly crawled into Zhaoxue’s wet embrace, curling itself into a ball as if that was the only way it could feel at ease.

Ji Xueshou’s brows furrowed deeply, unable to help tightening the grip around the girl’s wrists.

Not far off, a tall, upright cultivator dressed in white was walking toward them. He looked cold and weary, yet the people around him treated him with great respect.

He was the one who saved Zhaoxue.

…but what exactly happened, who could say?

Unconsciously, Ji Xueshou hugged the girl tighter, a sudden and unprecedented sense of danger rising in his chest.

Jiang Lingfeng dried his clothes with his energy, then walked over to the unconscious girl to check on her condition.

As soon as he reached out, the girl who had been patting her back to help her breathe reacted fiercely, glaring at him, “Don’t come any closer! My sister was perfectly fine—how could she suddenly fall into the water?”

She was a newly initiated cultivator and could feel the aura radiating from him, far beyond her own. To her, he was nothing but a complete stranger.

Still, despite her fear, she stood in front of the girl, blocking Jiang Lingfeng’s view with her body, trying hard to look fierce.

Jiang Lingfeng was taken aback.

He parted his lips to say something but then caught sight of the purple-robed youth’s gaze behind him.

The young man lowered his body, embraced the girl, letting her rest against his chest, and used his spiritual power to warm her. The moment he saw Jiang Lingfeng, he pressed down closer and protected her even more fiercely.

It revealed the small beast’s wary and hostile gaze toward a natural enemy.

Whether it was just his imagination or not,

that look carried a fleeting trace of viciousness that a cultivator would never possess.

A familiar voice brought him back to his senses.

“Senior Brother.”

Zhaoyang came forward with a group of people. She pressed her lips together, her face expressionless, but quickly checked Zhaoxue’s condition, pressing a few acupuncture points and giving her several pills.

She ordered two children, “Go fetch the doctor. The servants will take her back first.”

Zhaolan nodded quickly like a little chick pecking rice and, together with Ji Xueshou, hurried to catch up with the group ahead.

Their figures disappeared into the distance.

Several servants escorted the two disciples who had just regained consciousness, making them kneel before Zhaoyang. The two lowered their heads, afraid to meet her gaze, trembling like shaking chaff, barely able to stay on their knees.

Zhaoyang nodded to Jiang Lingfeng, then glanced coldly at the two, her eyes devoid of emotion:

“Take them back for interrogation.”