Chapter 84: Inner Disciples (Part 2)

Xu Binglai was not skilled at giving long speeches. He always needed to take a sip of tea to brew his next sentence, making the entire process exceedingly lengthy. Going back and forth, he simply urged Xu Qianyu not to be arrogant and to work diligently after entering the sect.
Xu Qianyu knelt outside the curtain, already lost in thought.
She began to contemplate the spirit gathering talisman she couldn’t draw. The curtain before her was like a fine whiteboard, and she used her consciousness to sketch a swirling symbol on it.

She didn’t know how many times she had thought about it when suddenly, dark scorch marks appeared on the curtain.
Startled, Xu Qianyu watched as the curtain ignited in flames from the bottom up. Xu Binglai was quick-witted; he swiftly splashed the tea from his cup, while Shen Suwei waved over a snow-covered sword aura, extinguishing the fire simultaneously.
Through the burnt curtain, Xu Binglai shot him a fierce glare.
“Xu Qianyu,” he slammed the cup down heavily on the table, “do you have any rules at all? This isn’t your first time ruining a curtain.”

Fortunately, Xu Jiansu and the others had already left, and there were no outsiders present; otherwise, he wouldn’t let her off easily for this kind of outburst.
What kind of girl doesn’t know to be a bit more restrained?
Xu Qianyu knelt silently, peering through the curtain, looking more like a little dog with its ears perked up.
Xu Binglai coldly said, “I’ll give you six months. In the hairpin flower conference, you must place. Even the weakest will be at the Gold Core level. If you can’t qualify for the spring selection, you might as well go back to the outer sect!”

Xu Qianyu was secretly shocked. The disciples’ conference was held every year to facilitate exchanges and competitions among the four major sects, so she was not unfamiliar with it. However, only those not held within the sect were called the “hairpin flower Conference,” with “flower” referring to demons and monsters.
This year, the hairpin flower Conference was to be held in the Demon Realm, which implied an unspoken objective among the sects: besides competition, there would also be a task to team up and slay demons, doubling the danger.

In her previous life, she had not been qualified to participate in the hairpin flower Conference.
Xu Qianyu was excited, but she wasn’t foolish. When she had previously dealt with the phantom ghost, she had recognized the dangers of the Demon Realm. Not to mention, six months was far too short a time to compete against a group of Gold Core cultivators; she simply couldn’t manage it!
Unable to help herself, she glanced at Shen Suwei, seeing him quietly listening without contradicting her, which made her feel slightly displeased.

In her past life, Shen Suwei had always prioritized the interests of the sect. Between her and Xu Binglai, he ultimately listened more to their master.
Shen Suwei noticed Xu Qianyu’s gaze. Although his expression was calm, waves of emotions churned within him.

Xu Qianyu had joined the sect for too short a time. Even though her internal strength was exceptional and she showed signs of forming a nascent soul, it was uncertain when that would actually happen. It could take six months, or it could take a hundred years. Before forming the Nascent Soul, she was merely at the foundation establishment stage.

The master insisted on her participation in the Hairpin Flower Conference, which was not impossible to achieve. However, the blood, sweat, and tears involved would likely be too much for Xu Qianyu to bear.
Among a group of disciples who were either diligent or lazy, Xu Qianyu was precisely in the middle, making her the most difficult to handle. She had excellent insight; if she was interested, she would focus. But her strong personality meant she followed her own path, and if she felt too constrained, she would simply quit. Teaching Xu Qianyu required a balance of coaxing and pressure.

Shen Suwei unconsciously pinched the edge of his robe.
This task was no easy feat for him either.
Xu Qianyu held grudges. If he mishandled things, it could easily push him into opposition with her.
“Alright, I’ll assign you a task.” Xu Binglai turned his face, the sword mark on his forehead flashing golden light, illuminating his light-colored eyes, making them shine as if they weren’t human. “Look outside the window.”

The curtains were simultaneously lifted by the wind. From the master’s pavilion, Xu Qianyu could see the vast Taize Pool shrouded in mist.
What had been a calm lake suddenly erupted with a gigantic water dragon, causing the disciples walking on the shore and the old man fishing for golden lotuses on the island to retreat in fright, exclaiming in surprise.

The water dragon continuously twisted and elongated, growing larger, as if the entire lake transformed into a silver serpent, churning the waves and leaping into the sky, with the splashing water frozen in mid-air.
The entire lake was instantly frozen into ice.
Xu Qianyu turned to see Xu Binglai looking relaxed, as if the attack and stillness were merely a simple gesture.
A “Daoist (Dao man)” at the half-step Transformation Realm had such powerful control over nature.
“When will you sever the dragon’s head? Only then can you venture into the demon realm.” Xu Binglai looked at his masterpiece with satisfaction, withdrew his hand, and said somewhat gleefully, “So, how about giving it a try?”

Before the words were even finished, Xu Qianyu had already leapt out of the window with a wooden sword, her feet lightly touching the icy surface.
Getting closer allowed her to better appreciate the enormity of the water dragon. Compared to it, Xu Qianyu looked like a mantis beneath a giant Buddha’s foot, tilting her head to see the dragon roaring with its mouth wide open, towering like a majestic spire, pressing down on her and making her breath quicken. After several jumps, she finally climbed onto the dragon’s back, but her feet slipped a bit.

Xu Qianyu drew the sword from her back and swung it toward the dragon’s neck.
She possessed a thunder spirit root, which enhanced her sword force. While others could exert three parts of their strength, she could unleash five. As the wooden sword swung down, a ring of lightning flickered across its blade, capable of slicing through gold and jade.

However, at the moment of contact with the dragon’s neck, the frozen water dragon seemed to come alive. Its scales were like armor, perfectly integrated and remarkably tough. Not only was it unharmed, but it also heavily deflected her sword.
Xu Qianyu slid down the dragon’s body several times, swinging her sword in all directions.
Not to mention severing the dragon’s head; she couldn’t even cut its most delicate whiskers. After a few more attempts, Xu Qianyu, unwilling to admit defeat, grasped the dragon’s whiskers with her hands, attempting to break them.

Under her grasp, she felt a slight tremor, and it seemed she heard the sound of dragon roars coming from the dragon’s heart, with continuous power flowing seamlessly between its head and tail, leaving no gaps.
Moments later, Xu Qianyu returned indoors, shivering from the cold, and said gloomily, “I can’t cut it.”

Xu Binglai smiled, seemingly very pleased: “Practice it; just slice at it every day.”
Shen Suwei added, “The essence of the dragon is inherited; you’re not contending with ice, but with the immense ‘qi’ of a half-step Transformation God Realm Cultivator. Your sword also needs to be coherent as a whole; if you only strike at one place, it will be hard to shake it.”
Xu Qianyu thought for a moment and understood.

Earlier, when she practiced body forging in the outer sect, she was merely a beginner with the sword; on the arena, she learned to adapt and counter, which was sufficient to defeat ordinary practitioners.
But if she wanted to progress further, she needed to develop her own sword intent.
The so-called sword intent was a form of coherent “qi.” Just like her calligraphy practice in childhood, once mastered, a simple stroke could contain immense power, flowing like dragons and snakes.

The higher the rank of a sword master, the more they pursued this simple and harmonious realm, in tune with the qi of heaven and earth.
Xu Binglai glanced at Shen Suwei with a smile and said to Xu Qianyu, “Have him practice with you.”

Xu Qianyu looked at her senior brother.
Previously, when she was in the outer sect, she had also received guidance from Shen Suwei, and she felt that his teachings were gentle as a spring breeze. But she could sense that this time, the training would be of a different style.

Xu Binglai selected a sword manual, and since Xu Qianyu’s soul was incomplete, he also brought some calming incense and pills, creating a “beginners’s package” for Xu Qianyu. As the master’s lecture neared its end, he asked, “Now that you’re in the inner sect, do you have any other requests?”

Xu Qianyu quickly replied, “I want the master to grant me the Zhaoyue Palace.”
Summer was approaching, and Xu Qianyu dreaded the heat. Her Zhaoyue Palace was well-ventilated, and a plaque on the back read, “The Wind Comes from the Water Palace,” which made the indoor space very cool.

It was just a pavilion, so Xu Binglai naturally agreed.
But Xu Qianyu added, “You won’t give it to someone else, will you?”
“Who else could I possibly give it to once I’ve said it’s yours?” Xu Binglai frowned. “Besides, within this sect, who would be so rude as to fight you for it?”
Xu Qianyu replied, “Then I want a proof.”
“What kind of proof do you want? Isn’t the master’s word proof enough?”
Xu Qianyu said, “Give me the deed to the house.”
Xu Binglai, who was sipping tea, was taken aback: “Give you… what?”
Xu Qianyu extended her hand, palm up: “I want the deed to the Zhaoyue Palace.”
Xu Binglai said, “Take her away.”
Xu Qianyu was pulled away by Shen Suwei, still turning back to shout, “Master, I want the deed to the Zhaoyue Palace!”
Xu Binglai pressed his temples, feeling his head spin.

Once Xu Qianyu left, he summoned a boy and asked, “Do we have deeds for the houses in our sect?”
The boy looked puzzled.
Another boy innocently asked, “Master, what is a deed?”
Only an older boy answered, “Master, the pavilion in Penglai was built by disciples using spells. In the immortal sect, residences aren’t for trade, so there are no deeds at all.”
Xu Binglai chuckled softly and finished his cup of tea.
This wild girl only thinks of such trivial matters; she truly deserves to be the daughter of a merchant, how vulgar.

The Zhaoyue Palace had been empty for a long time, fully furnished without the need to bring anything else, so Xu Qianyu moved in that day.
Initially, everything was fine, but Shen Suwei said, “Master instructed me to remind you to have your hair combed neatly tomorrow.”
Xu Qianyu retorted, “Why should I?”
This matter was entirely based on personal preference, and Shen Suwei could not provide a reason, remaining silent.

Xu Qianyu had grown a bit tired of styling her hair in a spiral bun every day, and changing her hairstyle wasn’t out of the question. However, she thought to herself, There’s really no need since she couldn’t do anything else. She snapped back, “I only know how to do this style.”
Shen Suwei was somewhat surprised. “Why can you only do one style?”
With a cold expression, Xu Qianyu thought, Isn’t it because of you? I never learned anything else because of you.

However, she couldn’t say this out loud. Shen Suwei, true to his former life, left to find someone. “Then I’ll call a senior sister to teach you.”
Seeing him leave, Xu Qianyu did not stop him.
After a while, the mirror reflected two smiling faces.

The newcomers were two older disciples from the outer sect, both surnamed Zhang, who usually referred to each other as sisters and were inseparable. They often came by to get familiar, and everyone in the inner sect recognized them, finding them warm, generous, and helpful. However, this was not entirely true.
The Zhang sisters had been in the sect for over thirty years and felt resentment that Xu Qianyu, who was unknown, entered the inner sect shortly after arriving. Upon hearing that Senior Brother Shen instructed them to teach her how to comb her hair, they couldn’t help but click their tongues. Who would have thought that a junior sister from the inner sect needed help with her hair?
At this age, she couldn’t even comb her hair. How shameless.

They exchanged glances, a trace of mockery flashing in their eyes, but they put on a warm smile and said, “Junior sister, come sit down. I’ll help you with your hair.”
However, Xu Qianyu stood her ground and said to the sister, speaking, “You should demonstrate it first. I’ll understand once I see it.”
“Is that really okay?” The sister’s smile stiffened, clearly unwilling. Just as she was about to use sweet talk, Xu Qianyu pressed down on her shoulder, her powerful spiritual force forcing the sister to sit down on the stool, snatching the comb away in the process.
The Zhang sister reached for the comb, but Xu Qianyu raised it high, leaving her grasping at air.
In a hurry, the sister signaled to her companion, who laughed and said, “Junior sister gave the comb to the elder sister, so she can demonstrate!”
Xu Qianyu lowered her head to play with the comb, seemingly oblivious.

The younger sister looked at Xu Qianyu’s snow-white wrist, feeling a chill run down her spine, sensing she had encountered a formidable opponent.
Xu Qianyu twirled the comb, snatching the hairpin from the elder sister’s hair, letting her hair fall loose as she began to comb it. The sister’s face contorted for a moment before she forced a calm expression.
Both Zhang sisters were disciples of the magical arts palace, hiding daggers behind smiles. They had cast a spell on the comb, so every stroke would pull out quite a bit of hair. In her previous life, they had used this tactic to anger Xu Qianyu, pretending not to know why she had a tantrum.

At that time, Xu Qianyu was still young and a sword cultivator, instinctively sensing something was off but unable to discern the magical techniques, leading to her suffering a hidden loss.
Now, however, the cleverness had backfired. The elder sister originally intended to endure and teach her a few strokes, planning to break the spell once the comb was in her own hands. Yet, every time she wanted to take the comb, Xu Qianyu would switch hands.
After several fruitless attempts and enduring the pain, she could no longer tolerate it and suddenly stood up. “Is this how you bully people?”
Xu Qianyu lifted the comb, pulling off a large clump of hair. “Sister, you seem to be losing a lot of hair.”

The two exchanged glances, Xu Qianyu’s gaze cold as ice. The elder sister suspected Xu Qianyu had figured out the trick right after entering, feeling a bit guilty. Xu Qianyu turned to the younger sister. “Do you want to comb?”
The Zhang sisters’ expressions changed; they snatched the comb and ran out, not forgetting to apologize to Shen Suwei, saying, “Sorry, Senior Brother Shen, but we really can’t teach her.”
When Shen Suwei entered, he saw Xu Qianyu sitting with her arms crossed in front of the vanity: “I couldn’t learn.”
Her tone was short and somewhat sulky. Noticing the previous sisters’ disgruntled expressions, Shen Suwei contemplated for a moment and grasped the situation.
He walked over and heard Xu Qianyu’s unhappy voice. “Senior brother, can’t you help me with my hair?”
Shen Suwei paused, looking at the reflection of Xu Qianyu in the mirror, confirming she meant for him to comb her hair.

After all, he was a sword-wielding senior brother, and it seemed incongruous for him to help a girl with her hair at first glance. But he had indeed seen her tie her hair before. He knew how to style hair. However, it was his first time doing it for someone else.
Seeing him looking over, Xu Qianyu hurriedly undid her hair, shaking her head to let her black hair cascade down.
When asking someone to apply makeup, it was similarly taken for granted that she would tilt her face up.
Shen Suwei resolutely picked up the comb and combed through her hair a couple of times. Xu Qianyu’s hair was soft, neither long nor short, fitting perfectly in his grasp.

Xu Qianyu held her breath, peeking into the mirror as Shen Suwei lowered his eyes to comb her hair, his expression focused. His movements were gentle, avoiding pulling her hair and steering clear of her ears.
Shen Suwei took his time, combing her hair for quite a while as if he were familiarizing himself with the sensation, meticulously untangling each part until Xu Qianyu’s hair was smooth as satin, at which point he stopped.
He tucked her hair behind her ear and decisively said, “Let’s try for a stick of incense’s worth of time tomorrow morning. Is that alright?”
Xu Qianyu almost responded affirmatively but suddenly thought to ask, “What time should I get up?”
“Inner sect disciples rise before dawn, at the hour of the rabbit.”

“I can’t wake up that early,” Xu Qianyu said unhappily. “At the hour of the dragon.”
“Too late,” Shen Suwei replied. “It has to be before half past the hour of the rabbit; it can’t be any later.”
“Hour of the Dragon.” Xu Qianyu insisted, “I’ve never gotten up this early.”
With only half a year to go, Shen Suwei couldn’t help but calculate the time for her.
“Half past the hour of the rabbit, I will come to wake you.” Shen Suwei left after saying this.

The next morning, as dawn broke, a paper crane pecked insistently at the window, making a repeated noise. Xu Qianyu covered her ears and rolled around in bed before sitting up and shouting, “What’s making that racket… you!”
The paper crane flew in through the broken window, and her gaze followed it as it flew across the room and out through the other window.
With both windows wide open, the draft rushed in, blowing Xu Qianyu’s hair and waking her up a bit.

She jumped out of bed and saw Shen Suwei standing outside the window, looking at her. His attire was as white as snow, untouched by the dust of the world. Before he approached, he reached out and closed the window, his voice soft yet cold: “I’ll come in after a quarter of an hour.”
Xu Qianyu glanced around; there was nothing much to tidy up. She had folded the quilt halfway, lost her patience, and abandoned it, directly pulling down the curtain to block the view.
When Shen Suwei came in, Xu Qianyu had already seated herself at the dressing table, lost in thought as she gazed at the flower branches in the vase.

The entrance gift that Shen Suwei had given her was a small, delicate water droplet glass vase, just right for holding two flower stems.
Last night, she had unwrapped the vase and found it quite lovely. In the middle of the night, she had climbed out of the window to pick a bunch of bellflowers to arrange in it.
The flowers had all been in bud yesterday, but today they had all bloomed, releasing a subtle fragrance.

Shen Suwei stood behind her, smoothing her long hair, dividing it into two sections, and twisting it up into a bun.
Though he was a bit clumsy, the result looked good. His movements were steady, and the bun was tight and full.
The two round buns were a common hairstyle for female cultivators, neat and unassuming. Xu Qianyu looked at herself in the mirror; without the spiral bun, she indeed seemed to lack a bit of brilliance.

But Shen Suwei was not done yet. At this moment, Xu Qianyu understood why her senior brother had asked her to get up a quarter of an hour early.
Shen Suwei plucked a blue bellflower from the vase, removed one bloom, and adorned her hair with the remaining two flowers—one large and one small—pinning them by her temples. His way of pinning flowers was somewhat unique; this embellishment made her look youthful and lively, avoiding anything too tacky.

Xu Qianyu tilted her head to look at herself from different angles, and Shen Suwei gently held her chin. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief and gaze at the mirror: “Is it pretty?”
“It’s okay,” Xu Qianyu suppressed the corners of her mouth, showing a proud expression. Then she noticed there were still quite a few stray hairs on her shoulder and felt puzzled. “Why are there still two strands left down here?”
Shen Suwei remained silent, braiding the stray hairs into two thin, long braids, one on each side, letting them hang down in front of her chest. This detail was his personal touch.
Xu Qianyu needed to add a bit of playfulness to her look.