Shui Tiannü’s real name was Shui Bingling. She had an elder sister who had cared for her like a mother all these years—Shui Yihan, and it was this very woman who was approaching now.
Shui Tiannü was lively and chatty, able to strike up a conversation with anyone, while Shui Yihan was the classic case of cold on the outside but warm within, reserving her smiles only for family.
Spotting Yan Zhen and the others in front of the forbidden courtyard’s gate, Shui Yihan couldn’t help furrowing her brow. She didn’t recognize a single one of them.
However, the stone lion had mentioned that their visitor was likely a Saint Realm powerhouse. Unreliable as the lion might be, Shui Yihan had no intention of treating them lightly. After landing gracefully, she walked over to Yan Zhen and the group with measured steps, speaking in a polite yet reserved tone. “I am Shui Yihan, Shui Tiannü’s elder sister, tasked with receiving guests on her behalf. Might I have the honor of knowing the names of these esteemed guests?”
Yan Zhen let out a light chuckle. He was, of course, familiar with Shui Yihan, but she clearly retained no memories of her past life. They’d have to start from scratch.
“You can just call me Yan Zhen. Fire Yan’s Yan, Pure Zhen’s Zhen.”
“Yan Zhen?”
For some inexplicable reason, the name struck Shui Yihan as deeply familiar. Her mind blurred for an instant, and as she scrutinized Yan Zhen’s handsome features, that sense of recognition only grew stronger. Yet she couldn’t for the life of her recall when she might have met this young man.
Her gaze shifted past Yan Zhen to the four women standing behind him, and she froze in surprise.
Their beauty was top-tier, surpassing even that of her and her sister. Their figures were peerlessly flawless, enough to make anyone feel inadequate by comparison. Moreover, each exuded an aura as profound as an unfathomable abyss—undeniably all experts of the highest caliber.
What was their connection to this Yan Zhen?
Odd thoughts bubbled up unbidden in Shui Yihan’s mind. She steadied herself and asked calmly, “If I may ask, Fellow Daoist Yan Zhen, what pressing matter brings you to seek out my little sister?”
Yan Zhen smiled. “I’m just here to catch up with her. Is Shui Tiannü unavailable to meet?”
Shui Yihan replied coolly, “To be frank, Bingling is currently in secluded cultivation. I’m afraid you’ll need to wait a few more days if you wish to see her.”
Yan Zhen shook his head. “You’re protecting your sister too fiercely, Yihan. You can’t keep treating her like a child forever.”
Shui Yihan didn’t budge. “Are you quite familiar with my little sister, Fellow Daoist Yan Zhen? Forgive my bluntness, but I’ve never heard her mention you.”
Her stubborn expression struck Yan Zhen as rather endearing. “In that case, let’s talk about things between us… though it’s not convenient here. Shall we go inside?”
Shui Yihan frowned slightly. “Fellow Daoist Yan Zhen, this is a restricted area of the forbidden courtyard. I lack the authority to permit casual entry or exit.”
Yan Zhen smiled faintly. “We’ve already come inside.”
In an instant, space warped around them. Everyone who had been conversing at the gate now found themselves atop a suspended peak—Tiannü Peak, the private residence of the Shui sisters.
The peak was crowned by Tiannü Palace, and they materialized within one of its pavilions.
Flowing Wind Pavilion—a cozy retreat where the sisters occasionally came to sip tea and enjoy light snacks.
Shui Yihan’s composure finally cracked, her eyes widening in shock. She hadn’t sensed Yan Zhen employing any martial technique at all.
~~~
Could he truly be a Martial Saint? When had Bingling befriended such a young-looking powerhouse of the Saint Realm?
Moreover, he seemed intimately acquainted with Tiannü Palace. Without that familiarity, even spatial translocation wouldn’t have allowed him to pinpoint this exact location.
What, exactly, was Bingling’s relationship with him?
“Fellow Daoist Yan Zhen’s techniques are extraordinary—an eye-opener, truly. That said, this hardly adheres to protocol.”
Yan Zhen paid her attitude no mind. “Your strict adherence to rules is rather amusing. Please, have a seat. Let’s chat for a while.”
With that, he played the gracious host, gesturing invitingly before attending to the four beautiful elders and helping them settle in, as though he were the master of the house.
The gesture left Shui Yihan feeling distinctly uneasy, fueling her suspicions about her sister’s ties to him all the more.
Yet her sister had never kept secrets from her. If there were a suitor in the picture, she as the elder sister would surely know.
Casually pouring tea for everyone, Yan Zhen spoke at his leisure. “No need to fret that we’re up to no good. To start, our origins: we’re not from the Divine Martial Continent, but from another plane altogether.”
The revelation hit like a thunderbolt, leaving Shui Yihan utterly stunned.
As a core disciple of Heavenly Dao Academy, she was well aware that worlds existed beyond this one, but her understanding of “other realms” came solely from books.
For the man before her to claim he hailed from such a place was almost impossible to fathom.
“Our plane is known as the Profound Heaven Continent—one of the nine secondary planes encircling the Main World, just like the Divine Martial Continent. We’ve traveled across countless miles to reach here because of a shared enemy. They’ve infiltrated all nine secondary planes, scheming to plunder the godheads and Heavenly Mandate of each! I’m sure you have some inkling of this. On our Profound Heaven Continent, we call them the ‘Demon Domain,’ while the faction here on the Divine Martial Continent is—”
“Are you referring to the ‘Demon World,’ Fellow Daoist Yan Zhen?”
“Precisely. The lord of the Demon World is presently laboring to resurrect the First Evil God, aiming to wield him against the God Race of the Divine Martial Continent and claim their godheads. Before turning on the God Race, however, he’ll target the Human Race, corrupting its powerhouses into evil slaves under the Evil God’s command. One of your Heavenly Dao Academy’s vice deans has already been tainted by the Evil God’s power and is on the verge of losing control, becoming his slave.”
“What?”
Shui Yihan jolted in alarm but quickly regained her poise, her tone laced with skepticism. “Your words stretch credulity to the breaking point, Fellow Daoist Yan Zhen. Have you any proof to substantiate these claims?”
“Telling you outright might not convince you. Instead, why don’t I share some matters concerning you sisters?” Yan Zhen replied with unflappable calm. “Private secrets known only to the two of you. How does that sound?”
Under Yan Zhen’s piercing gaze, Shui Yihan felt exposed, as if her clothes had vanished and he could see every inch of her. She couldn’t help clamping her thighs together and clutching at her chest.
“You… what are you going to say?”
Chen Xi, the Evil Consort, Jialan Fairy, and Yu Shishi all shook their heads to themselves. This young woman was still too green, dancing to their husband’s tune without realizing it.
Yan Zhen took a sip of his tea before continuing. “You and Shui Tiannü aren’t blood sisters. She was the infant your mother found abandoned during a pouring rain, wasn’t she?”
Shui Yihan’s brows furrowed deeply into a tight knot. This was indeed a long-buried secret known only to the two sisters—even the dean of the Heavenly Dao Academy had no inkling of it. How on earth had he found out? Could Bingling have told him?
Yan Zhen continued, “After your mother passed away, you sisters leaned on each other for support. As the elder sister, you took your mother’s dying words to heart, devoting yourself entirely to looking after your little sister. But Shui Tiannü had extraordinary talent for cultivation, which caught the eye of the Heavenly Dao Academy. They specially recruited her, and you got to tag along, riding on her coattails.
“Your own talent wasn’t anything to write home about, though. So Shui Tiannü handed over all her cultivation resources to you, her big sister. She even burned part of her own Origin Source to boost your aptitude, helping you reach the Mystic Venerable Realm.
“You came to feel like you’d dragged her down and failed her as an elder sister. Wanting to make up for it, you tried to do even more for her—but in the end, you worried yourself sick and turned into that overbearing nag who had to micromanage every little thing in her life… Am I right?”
