Chapter 133.1: The Choice (Part 5)

Returning to Penglai, Junior Brother Ruan Zhuqing volunteered to pick up Xu Qianyu and had been waiting eagerly at Mengdu since early morning.

Xu Qianyu talked to him for a long time about the matter with Fu Shao. They were originally having a pleasant conversation, but suddenly he slapped his own forehead. “I had promised a friend today that I would go and wield the sword for her, but I completely forgot…”

In a short time, Xu Qianyu had made new friends within the sect. He was somewhat disheartened but didn’t want to make things difficult for Ruan Zhuqing. “What does it matter? I’ll go with you.”

The two of them passed through a series of buildings until they reached a courtyard. This courtyard resembled the small one where Xu Qianyu had stayed when he first arrived at Penglai—secluded and hidden from view. Inside, a female cultivator was practicing swordsmanship, her face flushed with exertion. She walked over gracefully to open the door.

When their eyes met, Xu Qianyu was secretly shocked.

The female cultivator before him was none other than Xu Qianyu’s own sister—Xu Qianqian!
But Xu Qianqian was now very different from the frail and weak girl he had known: she was wearing tight-fitting clothes, her long hair tied up with a hairpin, and she was practicing sword forging.

Noticing Xu Qianyu’s gaze fall on the sword, Xu Qianqian smiled awkwardly. “Junior Sister, it’s been a long time.”

“You’ve cultivated your foundation?” Xu Qianyu found the scene surreal, as though he were dreaming. He pinched himself in his sleeve. Last time he had seen Xu Qianqian, she had been recuperating, claiming she was seeking medical treatment. Yet now she had turned into a cultivator.

Before Xu Qianqian could answer, her eyes glanced to the side and she noticed Shen Suwei following behind Xu Qianyu. She was slightly startled, and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks.

She wasn’t sure who she was explaining to, but said, “Thanks to the care of others, my illness was cured. I was fortunate enough to develop a spiritual root, so…”

Shen Suwei looked at her. “Developed a spiritual root?”

“Yes.” Xu Qianqian replied with calm dignity, “I always had one, but it was damaged from my injuries that day. I never mentioned it before, but it’s been healed now. I was planning to achieve some results before informing the inner sect, but since we’ve met today, I’ll tell you all now. I’ve begun my cultivation. I joined late, so in the future, I’ll be counting on Senior Brother Shen to guide me.”

Her words were clearly taught to her by the Sect Elder, but Xu Qianqian, having obtained her spiritual root and fulfilled her long-time wish, was ecstatic. As she spoke, she almost believed it herself.

Xu Qianyu’s gaze followed Ruan Zhuqing as he hurried into a pavilion, lifting a heavy stone sword for a young woman dressed in white. 

This girl was petite, her face hidden by a veil, and as Ruan Zhuqing handed her the sword, she slowly walked to stand behind Xu Qianqian. Judging by her attire, she was Xu Qianqian’s sword servant, someone who practiced alongside her.

However, this sword servant looked extraordinary. The wind fluttered her veil, and Xu Qianyu could catch a glimpse of delicate features—her eyes, brows, and the faint hint of a mischievous smile. As they stood facing each other in the courtyard, the atmosphere grew strangely silent.

Xu Qianqian saw that Shen Suwei’s gaze had passed over her and was now fixed on the young girl behind her. She softly explained, “This is my sword servant, Little Deer.”

Lu You, seemingly sensing the attention, shyly said, “I’m not very good-looking, so I wear a veil. Please forgive me for not removing it.”

Her voice was sweet but with a slightly husky undertone—an unmistakable tone that Xu Qianyu recognized.

The system, in disbelief, murmured, “Lu You! I sense it, it’s her! How is she not dead? Why won’t she leave?”

Lu You wasn’t so easily killed, and Xu Qianyu had already prepared himself. At this moment, he only felt trouble brewing and sighed deeply.

The system asked, “Why sigh?”

Xu Qianyu replied, “Lu You never returned to her family. It looks like you can only die in our world.”

While the system was crying in shock, Xu Qianyu pulled Ruan Zhuqing aside, casting him a look of disbelief. “This is your friend. When did you meet her?”

Ruan Zhuqing responded, “Not long after you left.”

“She is Lu You—the disciple once taken in by the late Master Wuzhen but expelled later.”
Ruan Zhuqing looked completely confused. “Lu You? Do we have such a person in the sect?” He laughed and added, “When did Master Wuzhen take on disciples? Are you sure you’re not mistaken?”

Xu Qianyu’s mind buzzed, and he released Ruan Zhuqing.

Lu You hadn’t died, and now she was Xu Qianqian’s sword servant. But the others didn’t remember Lu You; they only knew of her new identity. This drastic shift could only have been achieved by Lu You’s ability to deceive minds with her system.

But on that day, Xu Qianyu had clearly shattered the system with a single sword strike.
Had it healed on its own? Or was it repaired later?

When enemies meet, they often feel a deep animosity. Xu Qianyu caught a glimpse of Lu You’s mocking smirk through her veil.

He didn’t get angry. He walked around Lu You and Xu Qianqian, observing her as he circled. However, this behavior seemed to annoy Xu Qianqian. She thought Xu Qianyu was mocking her, so she said, “Junior Sister, if you have nothing else, we are about to begin sword practice!”

Just as Xu Qianyu was about to explain, his senior brother gently pulled him by the collar. “Let’s go.”

As they walked, Xu Qianyu said, “Xu Qianqian’s sword-servant is Lu You.”

“I noticed,” Shen Suwei responded. Based on her height, build, tone of voice, and the special aura around her, he could confirm Lu You’s identity. “But Lu You had a thunder spiritual root. Yet now she has a wind spiritual root.”

Xu Qianyu glanced at him, relieved that his senior brother wasn’t as easily deceived as Ruan Zhuqing. He didn’t know how to explain the information from their previous lives.

Lu You had two spiritual roots—Wind and Thunder.

Shen Suwei asked, “What were you looking at just now?”

Xu Qianyu replied, “Oh, I was wondering if there were any threads behind Lu You…”

Shen Suwei shivered, halting his steps.

Xu Qianyu knew that he understood her meaning.

A person with dual spiritual roots has both roots working in tandem. It was rumored that the sect leader, Yin Xiangjun, once split one of his own spiritual roots for his sister, Luo Shui, causing her body to deteriorate. To control her, he used puppet strings, ensuring they were always together.

Lu You possessed the auspicious aura of a koi fish and was ambitious. If she wasn’t forced, she would never have become Xu Qianqian’s servant.

The spiritual root on Xu Qianqian’s body likely belonged to Lu You.

Xu Qianyu felt a tangle of emotions. He and Qianqian had shared a bond in the past, and now, he sensed that his innocent sister was becoming entangled in a conspiracy.

After they left, Xu Qianqian felt somewhat disappointed.

She had transformed into someone like everyone else and had hoped to see some admiration in Shen Suwei’s eyes. Yet, his gaze remained calm and unchanged, as if nothing had changed.

Xu Qianqian said, “No matter how hard I practice, will I still be unable to get him to acknowledge me?”

“What are you saying?” Xu Qianqian turned around at the sound, only to see the white-haired, white-bearded Elder Taishang stepping through the wall behind her. She quickly adjusted her posture and bowed. “Grandfather.”

“For cultivators, the first rule is to maintain a calm mind. Do not bring your little, petty concerns from the boudoir into cultivation.” The Elder Taishang adjusted Xu Qianqian’s sword grip, his eyes showing some displeasure. His granddaughter was too weak, without a foundation, and far inferior to his daughter from back then. She was not material for cultivation.

If it weren’t for using her to control Xu Binglai and also to experiment with the results of transferring spiritual roots, he wouldn’t have spent so much effort teaching her and would have just fed her a bunch of pills instead.

Thinking of this, he began to check Xu Qianqian’s pulse again, asking her in great detail about how she felt after her spiritual veins had been formed.

Xu Qianqian was sweating profusely from the training but didn’t dare stop, obediently answering all his questions. The Elder Taishang’s gaze shifted, and Lu You, who was watching from the side, was so frightened that she trembled all over. She reported Xu Qianqian’s condition in great detail, especially adding, “Miss was upset earlier because Xu Qianyu came.”

The Elder Taishang’s face, covered with wrinkles, grew cold. “Oh.”

Xu Qianyu was given a disgrace by Xu Binglai. Now Xu Binglai dared to take Xu Qianyu into his fold right under his nose—this was a provocation.

However, the Elder Taishang’s cultivation had now reached the brink of the God Transformation stage, so he had to be extremely cautious. In order to survive his tribulation, he needed to maintain a calm mind and not let his murderous intent flare.

He closed his eyes. “She’s already under the Lotus Seed Heart Curse. Her life isn’t in my hands. A mere girl, like a mayfly, can never amount to anything. Tell her not to come again.”

*
That night, Xu Qianqian slept in her tent while Lu You slept on the floor. Xu Qianqian massaged her arms, which were nearly immobile. Half a year had passed, yet she still hadn’t formed the foundation for her sword, which caused her great distress. “Little Deer, do you think I’ve missed the best age for cultivation? Is there really no possibility of me ever wielding a sword?”

Lu You said, “Not necessarily. I heard that Junior Sister entered the sect at fourteen, and within three days, she formed her sword foundation.”

This remark was undoubtedly pouring salt on Xu Qianqian’s wound, making her feel deeply embarrassed, which in turn greatly pleased Lu You.

Xu Qianqian remained silent for a while before speaking. “Junior Sister, is she really that talented? I only just heard today, and now I realize how great the gap between us is.”