Chapter 17: Cultivation (I)

◎How about I sleep with you?◎

Moonlight spilled through the carriage window, flowing across the small table, tracing the glaze of the teacup and the slender fingers that held it.

Yun Jinxue took a sip of tea. The rhythmic clatter of hooves filled her ears, the wheels creaking, the night scenery rolling backward outside the window.

They should be arriving at the Divine Zenith Sect soon.

She set her teacup down, her eyes slowly shifting to the soft berths in the corner of the carriage.

In the dim light, the silhouettes of two young girls were faintly visible.

One lay flat on her back, hands folded neatly over her lower abdomen, breathing slow and even, sound asleep.

The other was sprawled out, long arms and legs thrown wide, her robes loose and disheveled. A few blue fireflies fluttered around her cheek, casting a sliver of cold light.

After leaving the last inn, Yun Jinxue had judged they were not far from their destination, so she hadn’t rested again and had pushed on through the night.

Thus, right now, the two younger children had both fallen asleep.

Yun Jinxue tapped her finger on the rim of her cup and let out a relieved breath.

The entire journey back from Transcendent Prefecture, having to simultaneously deal with these two difficult characters, maintain her image at all times, and decipher their endless array of questions had been no easy task.

Once back at the Divine Zenith Sect, their time together would only increase, requiring her to be even more mentally alert.

Contemplating the subsequent plot, she was just about to take another sip of tea when she saw the little villain toss in her sleep and tumble straight off the berth.

A flash of snowy silver light, and the space before the table was empty. Yun Jinxue landed lightly beside the berth, her robes fluttering.

Her palm caught the back of Jiang Yanyu’s head, preventing it from striking the hard floor of the carriage.

The sudden movement caused the tea in her cup to slosh, but it quickly settled again.

Jiang Yanyu’s long eyelashes fluttered, her breathing evening out once more.

Yun Jinxue gently set her teacup down. She wanted to lift the girl back onto the berth but feared waking her, so she leaned back against the carriage wall, straightened her legs, and carefully settled the girl’s head onto her lap.

The wind howled outside the window. Once all was settled, Yun Jinxue calmed her mind and continued to sort out the future plot.

Since she had to attend to the plotlines of both the female lead and the villainess, some sacrifices were inevitable, and the focus of her attention would unavoidably shift.

Their lives diverged greatly, but at this current point in time, they would both face a shared, life-changing event.

Namely, the Grand Apprentice-Making Ceremony three years from now.

At that ceremony, the little female lead would shine brilliantly under Elder Yan He’s guidance and naturally enter her tutelage, her future bright and boundless.

The little villainess, on the other hand, would face the complete opposite. In the arena, she would have the misfortune of encountering a ruthless newcomer named Cuicuo, whose attacks were vicious and without mercy.

No one would think to protect her. The result: Cuicuo would shatter her Golden Core with a single palm strike, leaving her severely wounded and retreating in utter disgrace.

After that, the two girls with similarly tragic pasts would walk two entirely different paths.

Before this destiny-defining ceremony, the little villainess had no significant plotlines. Yun Jinxue only needed to play the role of the sect’s Senior Sister well and offer a word of concern now and then.

But the little female lead’s plotline was much richer and more detailed.

In the early stages, after Elder Yan He brought her out of Transcendent Prefecture, they would constantly travel and handle affairs abroad, with Yan He casually explaining foundational cultivation principles.

Later, back at the sect, she would receive careful instruction, growing rapidly in a rich, focused environment.

As the Apprentice Ceremony drew near, Yan He would take her into the field to capture Demons, helping her solidify her Golden Core—the final push needed to become a true Cultivator.

This entire process could be described as guiding, leading, and supporting, meticulous beyond compare. Combined with the female lead’s own exceptional talent, this was how she was able to astound everyone at the Grand Apprentice-Making Ceremony.

Thinking of this, Yun Jinxue faintly sensed something amiss.

She asked internally: Mi Ba, in the original work, the little villainess was taken as a disciple by Yun Ding after the Grand Apprentice-Making Ceremony, becoming my junior sister. Don’t you find that strange?

Mi Ba said: [What’s strange about it?]

Yun Jinxue felt a bit speechless. She had come to realize that this system was probably just a pile of data, only capable of fixed output commands, with no independent thought.

She explained: Taking a disciple is for cultivating talent and strengthening the sect, right? The Elders are already extremely selective. As the Sect Leader, shouldn’t he be even more cautious?

Mi Ba said: [That seems logical.]

Yun Jinxue said: That being the case, why wouldn’t Yun Ding choose the more outstanding female lead, but instead pick the little villainess?

A crackle of electric current buzzed. Mi Ba hesitated: [I’m not clear on that either…]

Since even the system didn’t know, the reason for this was probably never mentioned in the original work.

But clearly, Yun Ding’s action was highly illogical.

Yun Jinxue pulled up the original text, finding the passage where he took a disciple.

After the little villainess was gravely injured at the Grand Apprentice-Making Ceremony, the Senior Sister couldn’t accept that someone she’d picked up so casually could possess such immense talent. So she paid her no mind, intending to let her fend for herself.

The path from the Ceremony back to Sword Summit—the little villainess dragged her broken body along it alone.

And when she finally, painstakingly reached Sword Summit, those thousands of steps were enough to make anyone despair.

The little villainess stood at the foot of the mountain, looking up at the mist-shrouded peak, her heart frozen solid.

Utterly unable to climb, she had no choice but to live at the base of the mountain, nursing her wounds.

It was during this time that Yun Ding emerged from seclusion once, came to see his daughter, and happened upon the little villainess sleeping at the mountain’s foot. He then took her as his disciple.

As the leader of all the Immortal Sects, what kind of Cultivator had Yun Ding not seen? He had never lacked for genius disciples begging at his door to become students, yet he had always only had his own daughter as his sole disciple.

At that moment, battered, Golden Core shattered, on the verge of death—what exactly was it about the little villainess that attracted him? What made him break his vow never to take another disciple?

The reason was never explained in the original work, even up to Yun Ding’s death.

Reading this, Yun Jinxue closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.

This was too bizarre.

The carriage gradually slowed until it came to a halt. Drawn from her thoughts, Yun Jinxue heard footsteps approaching from outside.

A young man in Outer Sect disciple robes walked to the window, raising his lantern. His voice was bright and clear: “Who is in the carriage?”

Lamplight flooded the window. Yun Jinxue instinctively reached out and gently covered the little villainess’s eyes, lowering her voice: “It’s me.”

The young man recognized her. He hastily lowered the lantern and saluted: “Senior Sister has returned? I’ll open the gate right away.”

Yun Jinxue nodded: “Thank you for the trouble.”

The young man departed. Soon, the main gate creaked open, and the carriage slowly moved again.

Yun Jinxue removed her hand, meeting a pair of clear, limpid eyes.

Her fingertips twitched, but her expression remained unchanged: “Awake?”

Jiang Yanyu yawned and sat up: “Mm. Did we arrive?”

Yun Jinxue rubbed the spot on her leg that had been pressed down, saying: “Yes.”

Jiang Yanyu leaned against the table’s edge, blinking. She asked: “Did I fall off the bed?”

Yun Jinxue gave a soft laugh: “Mm. Were you dreaming?”

A firefly landed on Jiang Yanyu’s fingertip. She stared at that point of blue flame and shook her head: “Senior Sister, it’s been a long time since I dreamed.”

Dreams are extensions of fantasy, always carrying a bit of hopeful expectation. If by misfortune the dream seems real, you must face the empty reality upon waking, and the fall hurts.

She was born without a good fate. If she happened to have a wonderful dream, the emptiness upon waking would be immeasurable. Better not to dream at all.

Thinking this way, it truly had been a long time since dreams troubled her.

Yun Jinxue quietly watched her. That tiny, faint blue flame couldn’t even fully illuminate the girl’s face, yet it grew, harmonious and thriving, within the spring-clear depths of her eyes.

Since she had to teach the female lead cultivation anyway, bringing the villainess along in the process shouldn’t be a problem, right?

As soon as this thought appeared, Mi Ba popped out and sat cross-legged opposite her: “Remember to keep your work focus on the female lead. Don’t overthink things.”

With Jiang Yanyu right beside her, Yun Jinxue didn’t dare speak aloud. She could only say inwardly: I know. If it weren’t for your side’s work error, forcing me to handle two people at once, why would I have so much to think about?

Hearing this, a look of disgust appeared for the first time on Mi Ba’s cold little face: “It’s all because those idiots messed up, pulling the wrong…”

Her final words trailed off into a mutter.

Yun Jinxue was seeing such a vivid expression on her face for the first time, finding it extraordinarily novel. She also sensed that the matter concerning Yan He was far from simple and wanted to ask more, but suddenly heard a rustling sound from the soft berth beside them.

“Mm…” Yan Guixing sat up, her vision blurry. Groggily, she said: “Immortal Lord, good morning.”

Immediately after, seeing the scenery outside the window, she corrected herself: “Immortal Lord, good evening.”

Yun Jinxue found it both funny and endearing: “Good evening.”

Turning her head back, Mi Ba had vanished again.

The carriage slowly stopped once more. They had reached Sword Summit.

Yun Jinxue got out first. A cold wind immediately hit her face, sharpening her mind considerably.

Before her was the bizarre, perilous peak, soaring into the clouds, stabbing straight into the black sky. The nearly vertical cliffs were pale, cold, solitary, and harsh, enough to inspire sorrow and awe in the heart.

Yun Jinxue seemed to understand what the heavily wounded little villainess must have felt, standing here looking up.

She drew Bright Star. After this period of rest, the blade was no longer dulled by dust. Its frosty edge held light, pure and coldly elegant.

Yun Jinxue channeled Spiritual Power into the sword, commanding the blade to turn horizontally and widen. She then brought the two young girls onto it, soaring all the way to the summit before stopping.

Thousands of steps? She wasn’t about to climb. Riding a sword was just like taking an elevator—perfect.

The three stepped off. Yun Jinxue sheathed her sword and said: “Rest well tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to get acquainted with the inner grounds of the Divine Zenith Sect.”

Jiang Yanyu responded: “Oh.” Then asked: “So where will our pride of heaven, Guixing, sleep?”

Yan Guixing said: “I am no pride of heaven. I’m just an ordinary person. I can sleep anywhere.”

Yun Jinxue paused, suddenly feeling troubled.

In the original work, Elder Yan He was strict about rules. She hadn’t brought the female lead back to her own residence, but instead arranged for her to stay in the Outer Sect disciples’ quarters.

Yun Jinxue could least tolerate seeing children suffer grievances before her eyes. How could she send the female lead, whom she had already brought to Sword Summit, off to the inferior Outer Sect dwelling?

Although the female lead herself probably wouldn’t mind, if Yun Jinxue actually did it, she probably wouldn’t be able to sleep herself.

But if she didn’t send her away, Sword Summit was truly spartan.

There were only two habitable bedrooms. Previously, she and the little villainess had occupied them separately, with not a single extra bed.

It seemed they would have to make do.

So, Yun Jinxue asked: “Windy, can you and Guixing…”

“No.” Jiang Yanyu was decisive.

“…” Yun Jinxue tried to persuade her: “Just one night. Tomorrow, I will find someone to bring an extra bed.”

Jiang Yanyu shook her head like a rattle-drum: “No way.”

She was the majestic Master of Mad Red Hall. Forget sharing a bed with someone—no living soul was allowed before her couch. Anyone with breath had to get as far away as possible. No one dared to crawl into her bed without knowing their place.

Yun Jinxue said helplessly: “Just bear with it for one night, okay?”

Yan Guixing didn’t want to make things difficult for her, so she offered: “Senior Sister, no need. I can just sleep on a tree.”

Yun Jinxue stroked her head: “…What are you saying?”

If it really came down to it, just making a bed on the floor would suffice. How had her mind jumped to sleeping in a tree?

Jiang Yanyu placed her hands behind her back and sauntered toward the house. “If you want me to share, fine. I’m hungry. I want a chicken leg. Get me one, and it’s a deal.”

Yun Jinxue rubbed her temples, sighing softly. “Why are you craving chicken legs again?”

On the journey back, whenever they encountered a tavern, Jiang Yanyu would inevitably order a giant plate of chicken legs.

After eating, she would stack the bones meticulously on the plate, as if flaunting something, every single time.

She’d never heard of this hobby in the little villainess before. When had she become so obsessed?

The dining hall must be long closed at this hour; there was nowhere to procure one. Yun Jinxue could only say: “How about this: Guixing, you sleep with me.”

Before Yan Guixing could even react, Jiang Yanyu, who was already a distance away, slammed on the brakes and retraced her steps: “Senior Sister, that cannot be allowed.”

Yun Jinxue tapped her forehead with a finger. “But you’re unwilling, so it can only be me.”

Jiang Yanyu caught her finger. “But Senior Sister, you still have injuries. Yan Guixing doesn’t know about that. If she accidentally bumps them while sleeping, that would be terrible.”

Yan Guixing’s expression changed. “Immortal Lord, you’re injured?”

“It’s nothing, a minor injury,” Yun Jinxue smiled at her, then continued: “So, Windy, how do you suggest we sleep?”

Fingers dancing along the joints of her hand, Jiang Yanyu smiled. “How about I sleep with you?”