Chapter 019

On the day before her departure, Zhaoxue followed Zhaoyang to say goodbye to the family.

Shen Qing had brought her many things and had even opened accounts in major banks under her name.

The money saved inside made her feel like she could never spend it all in several lifetimes.

She felt somewhat uneasy.

“No need to be anxious,”

Shen Qing entrusted Zhaoyang to pass these words to her,

“This money was originally saved by your mother every year on your birthday—it all belongs to you. But to be honest, no one really knows your true birthday, they simply took the day you were brought home as your birthday on their own accord. If someday you can find out your real birthday, everyone will surely be happy for you.”

Zhaoyang handed her a jade pendant.

It was very ordinary, not delicate, even somewhat rough in texture, without any distinctive engravings or inscriptions—looking more like something worn and weathered by time.

“This was found in your swaddling clothes when you were brought home. Although there’s little hope of using this to find your biological parents, your mother wanted to give it back to you.”

Zhaoyang said, “This has always been your belonging, she just kept it safe for you for over a decade. Now it’s time to return it to its rightful owner.”

Zhaoxue held the rough jade pendant in her palm.

She couldn’t quite explain how she felt at that moment.

“It’s okay,”

She put away the jade pendant and smiled at Zhaoyang. “Big sister, you don’t have to be so careful around me. Regarding my origins… I’ve never had any expectations.”

Zhaoyang said nothing. She just gently touched Zhaoxue’s hair.

“It’s time to go.”

A voice came through.

The man leaned against the doorway. He looked at the jade message slip and said, “The junior brother from the sect said he will meet us at the largest inn in Yuxian Town. They have already been investigating the situation there for some time.”

Zhaoyang withdrew her hand. “Alright.”

She glanced at Zhaoxue. “Do you want to say a final goodbye to them?”

Zhaoxue shook her head. “No.”

“If you see them, parting will just become even more painful. It’s not like we’ll never meet again. I want to keep a good mood before we separate. After all, everyone is about to face a new life they’ve never experienced. I believe they feel the same.”

Jiang Lingfeng’s lowered eyelashes trembled slightly.

“Leaving isn’t always sad. For example, I’m actually very excited to leave this place and head into the unknown.”

Zhaoxue smiled.

If the system were still online right now, it would be happy too.

From this point forward, the story would completely diverge from the original main plot and begin a new, exciting journey.

She would leave behind the high walls that trapped her fate and instead follow her elder sister and others to explore the vast drifting clouds and the long immortal path.

That’s how it would be.

But when she heard the faint meowing again on the carriage, Zhaoxue couldn’t help but pull back the curtain.

A small black figure darted swiftly between the black rubble and shops, running alongside the carriage, its shadow moving so fast it was hard to see clearly.

Zhaoxue couldn’t hold back: “Taxue!”

The little cat saw her too.

It lightly jumped toward Zhaoxue’s carriage, its front paws stepping onto the windowsill, then pushing off strongly to land steadily in Zhaoxue’s arms.

“Meow.”

The kitten rubbed against her palm, full of attachment.

Just touching Taxue made Zhaoxue’s eyes well up with tears.

The little cat scratched at her sleeve with its paw. Zhaoxue gently held its front paw and lifted it up, removing the paper strip tied to it.

— “Safe and sound, don’t worry.”

No, the two characters “don’t worry” were hastily crossed out with a line and replaced with “don’t forget me.”

Because the handwriting was too large, a line of crooked small characters was squeezed in beside it, almost sticking to the words above:

— “I will work hard to learn sword flying as soon as possible!”

Zhaoxue couldn’t help but laugh.

She could easily imagine the two of them crowded together, writing on the same strip of paper, even Ji Xueshou racking his brain to organize his words, and Zhaolan rolling her eyes at him in frustration because there wasn’t enough blank space left — the whole scene seemed right before her eyes.

The more Zhaoxue wiped her eyes, the more they stung. They still remembered the promises they made before.

“We’re not kids anymore, yet saying stuff like this is so annoying…”

She fumbled hurriedly to put the note away while wiping her eyes, but the tears wouldn’t stop.

So embarrassing, with her elder sister and Jiang Lingfeng right there, and especially at a time like this…

But Zhaoyang gently patted her back and pulled her into a hug.

She said nothing, but that simple gesture greatly eased Zhaoxue’s anxiety before parting.

Taxue gave one last rub to her palm, let out a soft “meow,” and jumped out of the carriage window.

“The journey is long and bumpy, rest first.”

Zhaoyang’s gentle, calm voice sounded by her ear.

As the soft voice faded, Zhaoxue really felt sleepy, her consciousness slowly blurring.

When steady breathing began, Zhaoyang finally lifted her head.

She gently patted Zhaoxue’s back and looked toward Jiang Lingfeng. “I hope I didn’t cause you any trouble, Senior Brother.”

Jiang Lingfeng shook his head.

“The original journey was slowed down because of Zhaoxue’s health. Has the sect reported anything to you about it?”

“They are also disciples from noble families who haven’t descended from the mountains for years. Now, taking advantage of the demon-suppression mission, they can travel freely through the towns. They won’t complain, but I suppose the expenses won’t be small.”

Zhaoyang smiled. “That’s good. Thank you too, Senior Brother, for everything regarding Zhaoxue. I’ve troubled you a lot along the way.”

Jiang Lingfeng lifted his eyelashes.

He shifted his gaze slightly and glanced at the girl in Zhaoyang’s arms. She was sleeping quietly, her expression peaceful, yet the tears on her face hadn’t dried, and the corners of her eyes were red.

It seemed every time he saw her, she was crying.

“Since she is your sister, I should take good care of her.”

Jiang Lingfeng withdrew his gaze.

“This is still outside. Once we return to the sect, if I am not by her side, Senior Brother, you will be the only person Zhaoxue can rely on.”

Zhaoyang said this as she lowered her head and sighed. She brushed away the dried tear streaks by Zhaoxue’s eye and tucked her hair behind the ear.

“Since I was young, when I became a disciple under our Master, there were only the two of us in the sect. More than ten years have passed in the blink of an eye. After Master passed away, the sect has not taken in a third disciple. Outside, people say you are cold and indifferent, that they respect and fear you, but I am the only one who truly trusts your character. Within the sect, you are the only person I trust—there is no exaggeration in saying that. And Senior Brother, you also know how important Zhaoxue is to me.”

“……”

“If something happens to me in the future and I cannot stay by Zhaoxue’s side…”

Jiang Lingfeng spoke, “Don’t make such assumptions prematurely.”

He watched as the strands of hair by Zhaoxue’s ear fell again, rising and falling gently with the girl’s breathing, peaceful and quiet.

“It’s also wrong to make such decisions for her prematurely. The person who should be asked most about this isn’t me.”

Zhaoyang was taken aback.

She looked into Jiang Lingfeng’s eyes. His long, distinct eyelashes drooped like raven feathers, blocking out the outside world’s gaze.

Then she lowered her head, looked at Zhaoxue’s cheek, and softly smiled.

“…You’re right.”

—

By the time they arrived at their destination, it was already night.

Zhaoxue, feeling drowsy and sore all over, followed Zhaoyang into the inn, holding onto the hem of her clothes as they got off the carriage.

“You go upstairs to take a bath first. After you’re ready, come down and have dinner with us to get to know the fellow disciples.”

“Okay.”

Zhaoxue rubbed her eyes and went upstairs to her room. After soaking in the bath for a while and changing clothes, she went out. Although she didn’t really want to go out or eat, Zhaoxue didn’t want her reputation to worsen in this new situation.

At night, the inn’s first floor was sparsely populated, but Zhaoyang and the others stood out clearly.

When Zhaoxue came downstairs, she saw them already gathered around the table. Besides her eldest sister and Jiang Lingfeng, there was a woman and a man. They were discussing topics like “women with spiritual power” and “soul possession.”

Zhaoxue walked over to the table and sat down somewhat shyly.

Zhaoyang was happy to see her come down to eat and introduced her:

“Zhaoxue, this is Senior Sister Fang Lian. She is from Ruoxu Peak’s sect.”

The woman in blue widened her eyes: “Zhaoyang, you have such a pretty and lively sister!”

She happily squinted at Zhaoxue, “Ah, just call me Little Senior Sister Fang, Little sister Zhaoxue.”

“Hello, Senior Sister Fang,” Zhaoxue quickly replied, lowering her head.

I really hate having to look people in the eyes when greeting them.

“This is Senior Brother Chen Ying. He’s from Lingjiu Peak. He’s the same generation as Senior Sister Fang and me, so just call him Senior Brother Chen.”

The young man flipped a page of his book without looking up and suddenly said, “Your Immortal Sovereign from Liuguang Peak has already passed away. If she calls you ‘Senior Brother’ or ‘Senior Sister,‘ who exactly is she trying to apprentice under? If she were to apprentice under you, then she should call us ‘Junior Martial Uncles (Shishu).’ Calling us ‘Senior Brother’ or ‘Senior Sister’ all the time isn’t mixing up the generations?”

Fang Lian: “…”

She raised her hand, slapped the book from his hand, then gave him a smack on the forehead.

“You little brat, do you even know how to read the room? At such a young age, you’re so rigid and old-fashioned. Are you really that aggrieved being called ‘Senior Brother’ by such a young and pretty little sister?”

Chen Ying fixed his hairpin, feeling a bit wronged: “I’m just stating the facts…”

“Facts? What facts? Saying such disruptive things when you first meet Zhaoyang’s sister — no wonder every time our peak is in trouble, Zhaoyang’s help ends up ^[1]“goes straight into the dog’s belly” (進狗肚子了 / jìn gǒu dùzi le) is a Chinese idiom. It means: “Wasted effort” or “helping someone ungrateful”.going straight into the dog’s belly!”

Zhaoyang: “…”

Zhaoxue: “…” That sounds painful.

Jiang Lingfeng: “…” Silently sipping his tea.

While Chen Ying got up to search for a book under the table, Fang Lian smiled apologetically at Zhaoxue, “Sorry, little sister Zhaoxue, don’t be mad, he’s got some issues.”

Zhaoxue: “…”

Seeing this, she even kicked him lightly on the butt under the table.

Zhaoyang, on the other hand, smiled as if nothing had happened:

“Chen Ying does have a point. But Zhaoxue is still a mortal now, so when apprenticing, she has to learn some of the sect’s rules. Besides, I’m not thinking about this yet, but the generational titles should be more precise to avoid gossip after we return to the sect when it’s too late to change.”

“Then just change how you address them, Zhaoxue.”

With that, the atmosphere loosened up a bit.

Zhaoxue obediently nodded and called out to Fang Lian, “Hello, Junior Martial Aunt Fang.”

She bent down again and called out to Chen Ying, who was awkwardly kneeling under the table searching for a book, “Junior Martial Uncle Chen.”

Chen Ying, fumbling in the dark under the table, said nothing.

Finally, it was Jiang Lingfeng’s turn.

For some reason, when it came to Jiang Lingfeng, Zhaoxue’s voice suddenly lowered.

She averted her gaze and said quietly,

“Jiang… Junior Uncle, hello.”

Each word was softer than the last, her voice almost fading away by the end.

Jiang Lingfeng nodded and said, “Let’s eat.”

Zhaoxue felt as if she had been granted a great pardon and hurriedly sat down, lowering her head to eat silently.

Fang Lian smiled warmly, “Zhaoxue, you’re so well-behaved. You must be starving, right? You really look a lot like Zhaoyang.”

Zhaoxue said nothing.

Zhaoyang only smiled lightly, “Zhaoxue isn’t my biological sister.”

Fang Lian laughed awkwardly, “I’ll shut up and eat now, haha.”

Zhaoxue kept her head down, eating carefully, picking up each grain of rice one by one.

The others continued their previous conversation.

“So far, three people have been killed — all women with spiritual power. Two were wandering cultivators, and one was from a noble family.”

“It’s unclear whether it was possession or body snatching. All three women’s primordial spirits showed signs of damage.”

“No lingering demonic or fiendish aura?”

“All traces have been erased.”

Fang Lian sighed, “As for the choice of victims, we haven’t found any pattern. We can only say that all the female cultivators attacked had relatively low cultivation levels. From this, it seems the demon’s skill level isn’t very high. It can’t attack female cultivators stronger than itself, and it has to rely on sneaky, low-level tactics like ambushes to succeed against those with very low cultivation.”

Zhaoyang nodded in agreement.

“The method is really strange, everyone must not be careless.”

Fang Lian responded, “Mm-hmm.”

She focused on eating but suddenly remembered something and looked up. “I heard you encountered a troublesome demon in Yucheng?”

Zhaoyang nodded.

“Never encountered anything like that before… Fortunately, casualties were light, and most of the hostages were rescued.”

“Did Senior Brother Jiang get involved?”

“Yes.”

“If even Senior Brother Jiang couldn’t stop it, that must be one powerful demon.”

Fang Lian clicked her tongue a few times and waved her chopsticks through the air. “Anyone who makes Senior Brother Jiang act is no ordinary opponent. If he acted but didn’t finish it off, that would definitely have caught the elders’ attention.”

“It’s already been reported to the sect,”

Zhaoyang said calmly while eating. “From what I understand, the demon was already seriously injured and probably won’t last long after fleeing.”

“That’s good, that’s good.”

Fang Lian sighed with relief. “To be honest, having Senior Brother Jiang with us this time is like having an anchor—no matter what happens, the Sword Sovereign will step in.”

Jiang Lingfeng said, “They call it demon hunting, but it’s really a form of training.”

Fang Lian grinned, “Exactly! It’s reassuring to have Senior Brother Jiang backing us up!”

Zhaoxue almost laughed out loud.

She coughed a few times to cover it up.

Backing her up—what is Jiang Lingfeng, a walking safety net?

Chen Ying just finished eating, slowly put down his chopsticks, and glanced at her, “What are you laughing at?”

Zhaoxue looked at the wrinkled, dusty book cover lying on the table.

She said, “The title is ‘Postpartum Care During the Nursing Period of Spiritual Beasts.’“

“The title sounds interesting, so I wanted to laugh.”

Fang Lian choked on her food and desperately patted Chen Ying’s back.

Chen Ying: “Tsk.”

Then took another bite.

—

The next morning, just as Zhaoxue was washing up, there was a knock on the door.

Zhaoyang came in: “How about going out with Senior Martial Aunt Lian and the others today? It’s rare to be in Yuxian Town. Once we’re back at the sect, it won’t be so easy to come out again.”

“Okay.”

Zhaoxue sat in front of the mirror, combing her hair.

Although she didn’t really want to go out with people she wasn’t familiar with, she didn’t want to make her eldest sister uncomfortable either. Besides, going out for a walk wouldn’t be bad.

A figure approached behind her.

In the mirror, Zhaoyang took the comb from her hands: “Let me do it.”

Zhaoxue was momentarily stunned.

The wooden comb gently scraped through her hair, and fingers softly stroked the ends.

It felt just like when she was a child.

“Are you having any trouble adjusting to the new place?”

“Not really.”

“Is the food to your taste?”

“Mm.”

“Seeing you adapt so quickly puts my mind at ease.”

Zhaoyang smiled, looking at her reflection in the mirror. “I was worried about this and that all along—what if you didn’t like the food, what if you had trouble sleeping at night. Seems I was overthinking.”

“My eldest sister really underestimates me…”

Zhaoxue lowered her eyes and pressed her lips together. “I’m not that delicate.”

“I know that.”

Zhaoyang patted her hair bun. “All done.”

Zhaoxue opened her eyes wide and looked at the mirror again and again. “So fast, big sister is amazing.”

“If you like, when we return to the sect, big sister will help you comb your hair every day.”

Zhaoyang smiled, “—But probably not these few days.”

“Why?”

A porcelain bottle was handed to her.

“Zhaoxue, you heard our conversation last night, so you should know what kind of targets that demon picks, right?”

Zhaoxue paused, recalling last night.

“Female cultivators with spiritual power. But I’m just a mortal…”

“Yes, but it’s still not safe. Zhaoxue, you know you’re still a mortal without much ability to protect yourself. If you want to go out with Fang Lian and the others, I can’t stay by your side. I hope you can use this pill to change your appearance a bit.”

Zhaoxue took the porcelain bottle and opened it. A round pill rolled out and rested in her palm.

“This will change my…”

“It won’t actually change your body or appearance. It’s just a disguise. Sorry, Zhaoxue, but you can’t show your true face… because I don’t want to take any risks.”

“I see.”

Zhaoxue nodded, swallowed the pill, then looked up and smiled at Zhaoyang. “It’s okay, thank you, big sister. I know you’re doing this for my own good.”

The problem was herself. She was too weak, making big sister unable to relax.

Later, when they went downstairs, Fang Lian was excitedly looking at the street scene while talking about something. Chen Ying was flipping through a book, staring intently, but replying only half-heartedly.

Seeing Zhaoyang, Fang Lian happily waved and ran over, “Zhaoyang! Huh?”

She looked at Zhaoxue with a puzzled expression, “Who’s this little youngster? Where’s Zhaoxue?”

Zhaoxue: “…” That pill is amazing.

Zhaoyang smiled, “This is your little sister, Zhaoxue.”

Fang Lian: “…!?”

Seeing Fang Lian’s changing expression, Zhaoxue nervously stopped her strange thoughts, “It’s a pill! Just a pill.”

Fang Lian’s expression gradually returned to normal. “Oh, so that’s how it is, haha. At first, I thought you…”

Zhaoxue tugged Zhaoyang’s sleeve and stepped behind her. Zhaoyang quickly understood, smiling and interrupting, “Since it’s to accompany Zhaoxue, let’s just put today’s expenses for your outing on Liuguang Peak’s account.”

Fang Lian’s eyes lit up immediately, “Ah, Zhaoyang sister, you’re too kind! Then I’ll definitely take good care of your sister!”

Chen Ying wordlessly waved his spiritual power and flipped a page. “You’re clearly a few years older than her, so how can you shamelessly call her ‘older sister’… sigh!”

Fang Lian slapped his head sideways and quickly rolled her eyes. “Although Zhaoyang is younger than me, her strength is better—I’m just showing respect!”

“…So, Junior Martial Aunt, are you really older than Sister Zhaoyang?”

When the three went out shopping, Zhaoxue couldn’t help but ask this question.

“Yes, I’m two years older than your sister. Although we’re peers, her strength has always surpassed mine,” Fang Lian said with a sigh. “Your sister reached the Golden Core stage at a young age, which leaves people like us far behind—it’s really something to envy.”

Zhaoxue didn’t understand these details, she only knew Zhaoyang was very strong.

After all, Zhaoyang was the ideal role model for all righteous disciples in the story—her big sister had exceptional talent since childhood.

“But that makes sense. Zhaoyang joined Liuguang Peak early on. Her master only had two disciples: the Sword Sovereign and her. Liuguang Peak has few people but abundant resources, even making a monthly surplus. Magical treasures and cultivation techniques are everywhere. Unlike our small peaks where resources have to be fought for ourselves…”

Chen Ying said slowly, “No matter how many magical treasures or techniques they have, it’s their innate talent. Otherwise, they wouldn’t even get past the threshold of Liuguang Peak, let alone catch the Eye of the Immortal Sovereign.”

For the first time, Fang Lian didn’t argue. She sighed again. “True. But your sister is a good person. When others get extra resources, they usually hoard them, unwilling to share even if it goes to waste. But your sister often helps out poor little disciples from other peaks, sometimes even bringing us along on missions… That’s why she has such broad connections in the sect. No one dislikes her.”

Zhaoxue lowered her head. “My big sister was always like that at home, too.”

Gentle but with authority, respected and loved by everyone.

“Only Zhaoyang can do that… Wow!”

Fang Lian was suddenly distracted by something and pushed her way into the noisy crowd ahead. After a long time, she emerged, sweating.

“Here, Zhaoxue, this is for you!”

Zhaoxue looked at the stick of candied hawthorn being handed to her. “This is…”

Fang Lian smiled, her eyes curved. “This is on me! Don’t worry, I won’t make your big sister pay for this.”

The sudden kindness from a stranger made Zhaoxue nervous. She had never experienced anything like this before.

She stared wide-eyed at the candied hawthorn in front of her. The crystal-clear sugar coating glistened sweetly under the sunlight, and the bright red hawthorn fruits beneath it were clearly ripe—wrapped in the sugar glaze, they looked beautiful.

For quite a while, Zhaoxue didn’t take it.

Beside her, Chen Ying stared at the calligraphy in his book without lifting his head as the pages turned automatically. “Maybe she doesn’t like sweet and sour stuff. You just bought it without asking.”

Fang Lian let out an “ah” and looked a little disappointed. “No way? I really love these. When I was little, stuck inside the family estate, I could only wait for the nursemaid to bring back a skewer of candied hawthorn…”

Zhaoxue quickly took it. “It’s not that I don’t like it…”

She didn’t dislike it—but she didn’t particularly like it either.

Fang Lian brightened up. “That’s good, then.”

Zhaoxue took a bite of the candied hawthorn, swallowed it with some effort, and asked, “So how did you end up coming to Hidden Sword Sect?”

Fang Lian held her hand as they squeezed through the bustling crowd, her expression distant, like she was lost in memory.

“Ah, back then, I really wanted to prove myself. There were too many children in the clan, and not enough resources to go around. When it comes to talent, honestly, everyone was about the same. True prodigies aren’t cabbages that grow on every corner, you know? So I could only work twice as hard… In the end, I snatched away the opportunity that was originally meant for the favored heir of the family. The peak master of Ruoxu Peak noticed me and brought me back. But my family hated me for it, so ever since then, they never gave me any financial support. I’ve had a hard time ever since I joined the sect…”

Zhaoxue glanced at the sticky, tooth-pulling candied hawthorn in her hand—and decided to take a second bite anyway.

“Speaking of which…”

Fang Lian suddenly thought of something and looked at the delicate and refined “young man” in front of her. She rubbed her chin, studying Zhaoxue for a moment.

“You look like this now, so I guess calling you ‘little sister’ doesn’t really fit anymore. How about this—from now on, we’ll just call you ‘Zhaoxue,’ how’s that?”

Being scrutinized made Zhaoxue a bit uncomfortable. She nodded stiffly and turned her face away.

“Looking at you like this, you don’t seem like someone from a sect at all. Plus, we’re still technically in the middle of a mission, so it’s better not to expose our identities.”

Fang Lian smacked her forehead as another idea popped into her head.

“In front of outsiders, don’t call us ‘shishu’ anymore. Since you call Zhaoyang ‘Big Sister,’ how about you call me ‘Second Sister’? Hmm? I look young enough for it, right?”

Chen Ying: “……”

Zhaoxue: “……”

“Also, this kid Chen Ying,” Fang Lian gave him a slap on the back, nearly making the book slip from his hands, “you should call him ‘Big Brother.’ How about it?”

Chen Ying was completely speechless. “We don’t even look like we were born from the same mother.”

“So what? Zhaoxue and Zhaoyang aren’t either, but look at how close they are now.”

“……”

“……”

What Zhaoxue didn’t expect was that Zhaoyang actually agreed with Fang Lian’s “sudden inspiration.”

She seriously thought it over. “Given Zhaoxue’s current appearance, the way we address each other should indeed change.”

As she spoke, she frowned. “When we went out to investigate this afternoon, we discovered a fourth victim… a young female cultivator from a noble family in the Golden Core stage.”

The others were all stunned.

“This suggests we may need to overturn our previous assumption that the demon’s cultivation level wasn’t very high.”

Both Fang Lian and Chen Ying’s expressions turned grim.

“Right now, we’re in the open while the enemy hides in the shadows. Everyone needs to stay cautious and alert.”

“That’s right, being extra careful is always a good thing.”

Fang Lian added, trying to reassure them, “Besides, Senior Brother Jiang is still in our team. Zhaoyang, I get the feeling… you already have a plan, don’t you?”

“It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s still a viable countermeasure.”

Zhaoyang smiled reassuringly. “But what Fang Lian said today actually reminded me—tomorrow and the day after, two days in total, for the plan to go smoothly, we’ll need four people out on each mission. But I don’t feel comfortable leaving Zhaoxue alone.”

Zhaoxue quickly said, “I won’t go out. I’ll just stay in my room.”

“Even so, it’s still not safe. And being alone might attract attention or raise suspicion.”

“Over the next two days, one person will stay behind at the inn with you, while the others go out on missions with me. In order to avoid drawing suspicion from others, we’ll go with Fang Lian’s suggestion,” Zhaoyang looked at her and smiled. “Let’s change how we address each other. Besides, demon hunting is our responsibility. I hope you won’t worry too much, Zhaoxue—just enjoy your time here in Yuxian Town.”

Zhaoxue didn’t object further. “Okay.”

—But how could she possibly have no worries at all?

That night, back in her room, Zhaoxue collapsed onto the bed, draping her arm over her eyes, feeling somewhat drained.

She let out a heavy sigh.

The female cultivator who died today was in the Golden Core stage. Her elder sister was also at the Golden Core stage. That meant the demon wreaking havoc in Yuxian Town might be even more powerful than her sister. Zhaoxue only knew that in the original story, her sister eventually died in the Abyss of Ten Thousand Demons—but what about before that? What would her sister face in this Yuxian Town incident? Would she be seriously injured from it, or suffer lasting consequences?

Zhaoxue knew none of it.

And as for that Jiang Lingfeng… she barely knew anything about him either.

She turned over, shut her eyes, and sighed again.

The system wasn’t around either.

She had to guard against what was right in front of her, while also worrying about what was coming…

She sat up from the bed and went to the washroom to splash cold water on her face.

The boy in the mirror had delicate, youthful features—like a fresh spring leaf on a branch. The cold water turned her cheeks pale, her complexion nearly translucent. Droplets slid down from her face and into her collar, making her shiver.

Almost at that exact moment, a knock came at the door.

Zhaoyang’s voice sounded from outside. “Zhaoxue, are you asleep?”

Zhaoxue quickly rubbed her cheeks to bring some color back to them, wiped the drops under her chin with her sleeve,

“Not yet—coming!”

She ran to open the door. “Big Sister, what brings you here so late?”

“I suddenly remembered I forgot to give you something earlier today.”

Zhaoyang stood at the doorway. “I won’t go in and disturb you. Here—this is for you.”

Zhaoxue took it in a daze.

It was a sword tassel. The teal fringe hung softly in her palm, and the warm jade still carried the lingering warmth of Zhaoyang’s hand. There were no ornate decorations, just a tiny, delicate snowflake carved into the lower right corner.

“I saw it on the street. Since the vendor offered on-the-spot carving, it made me think of you.”

As Zhaoyang spoke, she patted Zhaoxue’s hair. “Get some sleep early.”

The door closed gently.

Aside from that, she said nothing else.

Zhaoxue clutched the sword tassel. She picked up Jianxue and was about to tie it on when she noticed the two tassels already attached to the sword.

One was light pink, the other was a deep purple-red—both hanging there quietly and adorably.

Zhaoxue sat at the edge of the bed and calmly tied on Zhaoyang’s tassel.

…Yes. At the beginning, all she wanted was a peaceful life.

But now, it was no longer just about herself.

Three minutes later, Zhaoxue quietly left her room, tiptoeing toward the other end of the corridor.

Standing in front of the door, she took a deep breath.

She knocked lightly, her voice soft:

“Martial Uncle, are you asleep? I have something… I’d like to talk to you about.”