Chapter 33: Back Then, It Seemed So Ordinary Part 2

“Just heard Senior Sister mention the focuses—memorized Quiet Heart, skimmed Restrain Emotions a few times!” Lu Mingyi wailed miserably.

“Quiet Heart? Restrain Emotions?” Shen Mingzheng’s face turned green. “Why these two?!”

She whirled to Xiao Yuxie. “Senior Sister Xiao, you…”

Xiao Yuxie smiled faintly. “Just my guess, Junior Sister Shen. Best relax.”

Yet everyone in Taiqing Sect knew: Sword Peak’s senior sister might lag in combat tactics, but she dominated heart methods and self-cultivation courses.

Every Assessment Day, countless disciples shelled out fortunes for Xiao Senior Sister’s highlighted notes.

“We’d better pray for ourselves!” Lu Mingyi and Shen Mingzheng exchanged a glance, seeing the despair mirrored in each other’s eyes.

Once they entered the academy for the assessment, Lu Mingyi realized she was especially unlucky this time—her seat was positioned directly facing her master. She was truly taking the exam right under Jiang Liuzhao’s watchful eyes!

Xiao Yuxie could only shake her head at her, her gaze clearly saying: Senior Sister can’t help you this time.

Resigned to her fate, Lu Mingyi sat down. She looked up at her revered master and proctor, blinked her eyes, and put on an especially obedient and cute expression.

The disciples seated on either side of her stared, utterly captivated, unable to tear their eyes away for a long time.

However, Jiang Liuzhao remained completely unmoved, not sparing Lu Mingyi so much as an extra glance.

The ploy to muddle through by tugging at heartstrings was utterly useless against the impartial Long Rainbow Sword Venerable.

After receiving the exam paper, Lu Mingyi unsurprisingly saw two bold questions: transcribe the heart methods for Quiet Heart and Restrain Emotions.

Quiet Heart was no problem; she had it memorized inside out. But Restrain Emotions? Lu Mingyi had never thought she needed such a method and had only skimmed it during review.

After all, who didn’t have their seven emotions and six desires? If cultivation meant stripping away even basic human feelings in the end, what was the point?

So, after finishing Quiet Heart, she stared at the bold “Restrain Emotions,” sitting there on pins and needles.

One hand twirled her brush while the other supported her aching neck. Whenever she lifted her head, she could see her master, eyes downcast as she reviewed her messaging jade slip, handling sect affairs.

Jiang Liuzhao’s lashes were longer than most, though not noticeably curled. In this moment, with her gaze lowered, they cast fine shadows across her fair face.

Lu Mingyi gazed at her master’s long lashes for a moment, and suddenly, a memory flashed through her mind—from their time at Lingxiao Pavilion, when Jiang Liuzhao had first let her browse the heart method manual on her own. The very first one had been Restrain Emotions.

Old memories resurfaced, and Lu Mingyi actually recalled a bit. She slowly wrote the first line.

After finishing it, she got stuck again. She looked up at Jiang Liuzhao once more, taking in her master’s utterly emotionless demeanor, and remembered a little more, jotting down the second line.

Repeating this process, she managed to write most of the Restrain Emotions heart method, leaving only two or three lines.

Just as Lu Mingyi immersed herself and lifted her eyes again, she met a pair of bright, ink-dark eyes.

Jiang Liuzhao had caught her peeking red-handed. With her slender fingers, she picked up a jade slip and lightly tapped the desk, a hint of helplessness in her eyes as she said softly, “Look at your own paper. Don’t glance around.”

Lu Mingyi thought, I wasn’t glancing around—I was just looking at my master!

But that was just an inner grumble. On the surface, she obediently lowered her head to her paper. After a while, she sneakily peeked a few more times.

Jiang Liuzhao, with her keen senses, noticed the gaze again. She could no longer focus on the cluttered sect affairs before her.

Down below, Lu Mingyi beamed with delight. When the heart method assessment ended, she happily handed in her paper.

Shen Mingzheng approached with a grim face and smacked her hard. “It really was those two! I’m done for this time!”

“It’s fine. Heart methods don’t weigh much in the scoring. Your archery and internal cultivation are always top-notch—upper first-class overall is a sure thing!” Lu Mingyi patted her back and added, “Tonight at Jin Que Pavilion—what should we eat?”

“I ordered delivery from Yunmeng Pavilion, the usual dishes?”

“Sounds good! Sigh, A’Zheng, life would be so boring without you…”

“…Get lost!”

Lu Mingyi told Shen Mingzheng to head over first, then went to find Xiao Yuxie.

The Sword Peak Senior Sister was once again surrounded by a gaggle of admirers, all praising and thanking her for her reliable guidance.

Xiao Yuxie handled the crowd with ease, making everyone feel like they were basking in a spring breeze, properly cared for.

Until she spotted the tall girl approaching. Her smile warmed instantly as she bid farewell to the group, concern flickering in her eyes. “Little Yi, how’d it go?”

“Thanks to Senior Sister, I was prepared!” Lu Mingyi grinned brightly, then leaned in close to whisper in Xiao Yuxie’s ear, “I’d completely forgotten how to write Restrain Emotions, but seeing Master’s utterly desireless look jogged my memory!”

Her warm breath brushed Xiao Yuxie’s ear, turning the pearly lobe a faint pink.

Xiao Yuxie couldn’t help shrinking her shoulder but didn’t pull away. She laughed and lightly patted Lu Mingyi’s shoulder. “You… that’s utterly disrespectful.”

“Heh heh, how would Master ever know?” Lu Mingyi chuckled smugly.

At that moment, a cool voice rang out: “Lu Mingyi.”

The beaming girl’s expression turned dramatically startled. She turned shakily to face the stone-faced woman behind her, forcing a smile after a long moment. “M-Master… you haven’t left yet?”

With Jiang Liuzhao’s profound cultivation, had she overheard everything?!

Xiao Yuxie curtsied, barely holding back her laughter.

Jiang Liuzhao regarded Lu Mingyi leisurely, the faintest curve at her lips. “Do you wish I’d left sooner?”

“Of course not!” Lu Mingyi coughed, straightened up, and bowed properly. “I-I haven’t seen Master in days. I’ve missed you terribly!”

Jiang Liuzhao’s brow twitched slightly at that. She nodded. “In that case, it’s my oversight. Come with me to Lingxiao Pavilion.”

“Huh?!” Lu Mingyi let out a wail but could only bow her head in submission under her master’s gaze.

Xiao Yuxie covered her mouth, chuckling. “It’ll be fine. Master will just scold you a bit.”

“Wuwu, Senior Sister…” Lu Mingyi wailed, seeking comfort.

It was already dusk when they left the academy. Lu Mingyi first sent Shen Mingzheng a message saying she might be a little late, then prepared to sword-flight to Lingxiao Pavilion.

But after just a few steps, she heard muffled arguing.

“An powerless outer disciple like you—Senior Sister Cheng letting you fetch things is a privilege! How dare you refuse!”

Hearing that, Lu Mingyi’s expression grew serious. She hurried over and saw several inner disciples shoving a slightly frail woman—they’d even knocked her to the ground.

But they didn’t stop; they even raised a foot to kick.

“Stop!” Lu Mingyi barked coldly, her usual sunny smile now edged with frost. “What do you think you’re doing? Beating a fellow disciple within the sect? Have you learned nothing of the sect rules?!”

“Lu-Lu Senior Sister?!”

Everyone on Sword Peak knew Lu Mingyi’s name. Seeing the nine-scroll cloud pattern on her collar, the inner disciples paled and begged, “Senior Sister Lu, we-we didn’t mean to…”

“Oh? So your hands and feet acted on their own?” Lu Mingyi sneered, stepped forward to help the fallen woman up, and asked gently, “Are you hurt anywhere?”

The woman was even frailer than she’d thought; her protruding wrist bones pressed uncomfortably into Lu Mingyi’s palm. A tiny mole dotted the end of her brow, and her upturned eyes held a sheen of tears, making her look utterly pitiable.

“N-No… Thank you, Senior Sister Lu…” she murmured lowly, her gaze dropping to Lu Mingyi’s hand on her wrist.

Seeing the woman’s cautious demeanor fueled Lu Mingyi’s anger. How could Taiqing Sect disciples bully their own?

She frowned, retrieved several premium ointments from her Storage Ring, and handed them to the woman. Then she turned to the culprits. “Apologize first, then report to the Enforcement Hall for punishment. Dare to do this again, and don’t bother staying in the inner sect!”

They dropped to their knees, trembling as they apologized to the woman, then slunk away in fear of further trouble.

Lu Mingyi shook her head with a sigh, carefully helping the woman up and offering a gentle smile. “It’s okay now. Keep these ointments—they’ll help with the pain from the fall.”

“…Thank you.” The woman kept her head down, voice faint.

Not wanting to embarrass her further, Lu Mingyi smiled shallowly and bid farewell.

But before leaving, she added, a bit worried, “If they trouble you again, come find me. I live in Jin Ji Pavilion, midway up the mountain.”

Only after Lu Mingyi left did the woman slowly raise her head. Her enchanting fox-like eyes reflected the girl’s light figure.

Her red lips parted, murmuring softly, “Lu… Mingyi…”

When Lu Mingyi stepped into Lingxiao Pavilion, she suddenly sneezed. Several Spirit Fires ignited within, raising the temperature sharply.

She saw Jiang Liuzhao seated on the high platform, bowed first, then feigned casualness. “Greetings, Master. May I ask why you summoned this disciple?”

Jiang Liuzhao calmly picked up a paper. “Heart method transcription: Quiet Heart, full marks; Restrain Emotions, missing one line in the third section, last line of the final section written as Void Clarity Technique. Plus, looking around during the exam, poor posture. Overall: second-class.”

“What?!” Lu Mingyi’s face changed dramatically. She pounced to Jiang Liuzhao’s side, looking pitiful and innocent as she grabbed her arm. “Master, that can’t be! And I wasn’t looking around—I was just looking at you!”

Jiang Liuzhao’s fingers tightened slightly on the paper, leaving a faint mark. After a long moment, she glanced at Lu Mingyi, expressionless. “Looking at me for what? Do I have words on my face?”

“Uh, er…” Lu Mingyi blinked, swallowed, and quickly rephrased. “Because seeing Master reminds me of your earnest teachings! That’s how I recalled the heart methods you taught…”

Jiang Liuzhao’s brow arched slightly, a faint huff of laughter escaping, though her face remained impassive. “I didn’t teach your heart method class.”

“I remember everything at Master’s place clearly. You showed me Restrain Emotions before!” Lu Mingyi insisted.

“Oh, I see.” Jiang Liuzhao nodded. “So seeing me jogs your memory of the past—not because of my ‘utterly desireless look’ that made you recall Restrain Emotions, right?”

“…Y-Yes, exactly…” Lu Mingyi couldn’t meet her eyes anymore.

Seeing her pitiful state, a genuine smile softened Jiang Liuzhao’s cool features. She closed her eyes briefly. “No more of that next exam.”

“Of course!” Lu Mingyi agreed eagerly, then asked cautiously, “So, Master, my score…”

Jiang Liuzhao set the paper aside and picked up a new one. “What it should be, it will be.”

Lu Mingyi had only missed two lines—upper first-class was certain.

Her eyes lit up. Like in her youth, she excitedly hugged Jiang Liuzhao, the faint sandalwood scent filling her nose. “Great! I knew Master was the best!”

The hot press of her body startled Jiang Liuzhao. By the time she recovered, the vibrant figure was already waving and dashing out.

Only when silence returned to Lingxiao Pavilion’s hall did she withdraw her gaze, fingers brushing the arm that had been closely held, as if warmth lingered there.

Flying out of Lingxiao Pavilion, she could see stars and moonlight dotting the sky.

Lu Mingyi pulled out her Identity Token; several messages from Shen Mingzheng awaited. The latest blared with an impatient voice: “Lu Mingyi, the food’s getting cold! Come now or I’ll eat it all!”

“Good sis! I’m on my way—save me a bite!” Lu Mingyi’s laughing voice echoed through the air.

Beneath the night sky, soft light bathed her form.

This was just an ordinary day at Taiqing Sect.

Lu Mingyi thought tomorrow, the day after, and countless days ahead would likely be just like this.