Shang Si was someone who had been raised with impeccable manners since childhood; even when she mocked others, she did so with her own unique flair.
Feng Xing didn’t catch it the first time around, but upon closer reflection, he realized that this little girl before him was actually ridiculing him for not ascending straight to the heavens.
His eyes bulged, and he was just about to lash out when a sharp whistling cut through the air overhead—the sound was far from subtle.
“Uncle Feng, it must be people from the other families catching up. We need to hurry into the cave.” One of the disciples keeping watch called out in reminder.
Feng Xing let out a heavy snort. His gaze swept over Lu Shiyuan and Shang Si’s faintly smiling face before he flicked his sleeve and stormed off.
With their Uncle Feng gone, the rest of the Azure City Mansion disciples naturally followed right behind.
Only Song Cong turned back after a few steps, coming to a stop in front of Lu Shiyuan. “Junior Sister Lu, my shishu was only trying to look out for your safety. After all, you… well, you and your companion should really think this over carefully.” Song Cong hesitated midway through, his eyes flickering as he ultimately swallowed the words “spirit veins completely wasted,” unwilling to prod at her sore spot.
In the end, out of regard for their past acquaintance, he had extended this sliver of goodwill.
Unfortunately, in Shang Si’s eyes, it was little more than condescending charity.
She let out a soft scoff and shook her head. “No wonder human Dao cultivators have clashed endlessly with demons and devils for thousands of years. If I were a demon, I wouldn’t be able to stand the sight of Dao cultivators acting so smug and superior.”
“A Si, they don’t even know you’re the Ye Lord,” Lu Shiyuan—the very person involved—didn’t seem to mind Song Cong and the others’ attitudes at all. She curved her eyes into a smile and chuckled lightly. “I’ve gotten used to it by now. You have no idea—right after it happened, everyone wanted to shower me with their pity. But that pity was the last thing I wanted.”
The once-dazzling prodigy of the heavens, fallen in an instant. Those sympathetic looks had turned into thorns, stabbing straight into her heart.
Lu Shiyuan spoke these words with a smile, utterly relaxed, but Shang Si still caught the undercurrent of weight beneath them.
She fell quiet for a moment, the amusement fading from her eyes. “I’ve never pitied you.”
With that, she turned her head toward the direction the Azure City Mansion group had vanished, her red lips curving upward. “Since seeing these people dredges up bad memories for Shiyuan, then we won’t be going with them.”
“We’ll find another entrance.”
~~~
As Shang Si had said, there was more than one way into the mountains. Lu Shiyuan had at first thought she was just saying it to comfort her, but sure enough, following along led them to another, more concealed entrance.
The two slipped in through a fissure beneath a spring gully. The deeper they ventured, the colder it grew. It was the height of June, yet the chill seeped right through their skin, forcing them to circulate their spiritual power just to keep it at bay.
Channeling spiritual power nonstop to fend off the cold—if one’s cultivation were even a touch weaker, they wouldn’t last long before their reserves ran dry.
Lu Shiyuan glanced up once more at the little flying insect scouting ahead of them, adjusting the Night-Luminous Pearl in her palm. “A Si.”
“Hm?” Shang Si halted, turning slightly toward her.
“If we run into those people again, you don’t need to jump in for my sake. It might just stir up needless trouble.” Lu Shiyuan’s clear eyes fixed earnestly on the figure ahead, her tone even.
She had assumed Lu Shiyuan was calling her for something important, but this was all it turned out to be.
After a beat of silence, Shang Si didn’t argue the point. Instead, she spoke of something else, resuming her slow steps forward. “The Kunlun Mountains stretch for hundreds of li. Beyond this main peak, countless fissures have wormed their way underground over the ages. For the Kunlun Sect to have such a massive disturbance right beneath their noses and only notice now—no wonder they’ve turned so worthless after a thousand years.”
“Even in their current weakness, the Kunlun Sect still clings to its status as a major cultivation power, which goes to show the rest aren’t any better,” At this, Shang Si figured she’d made herself clear enough. She glanced sideways, her voice softening. “Shiyuan, you don’t need to worry about me. A dozen or twenty more like Feng Xing wouldn’t even be worth the effort. Hasn’t Nan Jin shown you that much these past three years? Anyone who comes from our Yedu…”
Protective to a fault.
Shang Si left the rest unsaid, but the faintly petulant look on her face spoke volumes.
If someone dared bully one of their own, then they got what was coming—simple as that.
Only then did Lu Shiyuan smack her forehead lightly in chagrin, letting out a bemused laugh. “Right, how did I forget about Yedu’s little tradition…”
Shang Si tapped her forehead with a crooked finger in turn. “Yeah, how could you forget?”
The two shared a smile, their bright laughter echoing through the narrow mountain path, chasing away any hint of gloom.
Just then, the little flying insect leading the way ahead suddenly let out a shrill whistle and trembled violently in the air. By the time Shang Si sensed something amiss, a clump of yellow light streaked past their faces from the depths of the narrow passage, fleeing toward the cave mouth.
“Freeze!” In the blink of an eye, Shang Si pinched a hand seal and bound the escaping yellow glow.
Before the two women could approach for a closer look, a figure burst from the depths of the passage in pursuit. He flashed to the front of the yellow light, scratching his head and cheeks in frantic agitation. “Aiyah! The thing I chased for ages got pinned by you in one shot. Undo it—quick, undo it!”
Shang Si turned a deaf ear, scrutinizing the white-bearded, white-haired old man from head to toe. Only then did her gaze settle on the writhing, leaping clump of yellow light. “A Ten-Thousand-Year He Shou Wu that has awakened spiritual intelligence. Shouldn’t this be in the Kunlun Sect’s treasure vault?”
“Ten-Thousand-Year He Shou Wu?” Lu Shiyuan’s interest piqued the moment she heard the yellow glow was the very herb they sought on this trip. “But the one owned by the Kunlun Sect hadn’t gained sentience yet, had it?”
“It hadn’t at first. But after I snuck it out and nurtured it day and night with spiritual energy—and with the dense spirit qi in these mountains—it naturally awakened after a century.” The old man chuckled, stroking his long beard with delight.
No sooner had he finished than the bound yellow light dimmed further. At the sight, he grew truly anxious. “Done with the questions? Can I have it back now?”
Shang Si narrowed her beautiful eyes and crossed her arms, paying the mad old coot no mind.
Lu Shiyuan, polite and courteous as ever, cupped her hands toward him with an air of upright righteousness. “My apologies, Senior. This Ten-Thousand-Year He Shou Wu is also…”
Her words were cut short by a massive commotion from behind.
The three of them froze.
In the next instant, Lu Shiyuan felt a swarm of auras—familiar yet strange—flood into the narrow passage. From the shadows, someone bellowed:
“It’s a spiritual medicine that’s gained sentience!”
Chaos erupted. Figures flashed into view, all lunging straight for the dimming yellow glow ahead.
Shang Si wasn’t about to let that happen. With a flick of her fair hand, she sent the Ten-Thousand-Year He Shou Wu straight to the nearer Lu Shiyuan. “Shiyuan, catch!” She moved to intercept the newcomers, only for the old man before her to tie her up, letting those late arrivals close in on Lu Shiyuan in moments.
Amid the frantic brawl, Lu Shiyuan’s current cultivation level and Azure Frost Sword let her barely hold her ground. She fought while retreating, injury looming at every turn.
At last, Shang Si’s eyes—which had betrayed little emotion till now—darkened. “Mad old man, this medicine is vital to me. If you know what’s good for you, don’t fight me for it. Step aside!”
“Heh, little missy. Small package, big mouth.” He cackled and thrust a palm her way, every bit as stubborn as she accused.
Shang Si met it head-on.
True masters sized each other up in a single clash.
After the exchange, a flicker of rare gravity and shock crossed the old man’s eyes. “Well now, little missy. Looks can deceive—this old Daoist’s done playing.” The white-haired Daoist feinted to throw her off, then bolted for Lu Shiyuan’s rear. Like a bolt from the blue, he snatched the He Shou Wu into his robes.
“Heh heh, see ya! Have fun scrapping!”
With the spiritual medicine gone, the Sea Wolf that had been locked in combat with Lu Shiyuan exploded in fury. It pinned all the blame on the woman before it. “You damned fool! If I wasn’t worried about harming the medicine, why would I pull my punches? Without you meddling, it’d be mine already. You deserve death!”
Its eyes bulged, fangs bared as it pounced at Lu Shiyuan in full demonic form.
A demon in humanoid shape unleashed its peak battle prowess.
Deadly peril loomed. Lu Shiyuan’s almond eyes widened, breath stilled. On instinct, she thrust the Azure Frost Sword before her to block—only for the massive wolf claw to swat it aside, sending the blade flying.
In that razor-edge moment, a Spirit Talisman blazed to life, swelling massively to meet the Sea Wolf’s strike and buy a precious instant’s delay. Seizing it, Feng Xing darted in from the flank, yanking her out from under the claw.
When Lu Shiyuan regained her wits, she realized the Azure City Mansion group had arrived without her noticing.
“Sea Wolf, with your cultivation, why stoop to bullying a junior? The spiritual medicine’s not on her. If you’ve got a grudge, chase that old man.” Feng Xing had clearly recognized Lu Shiyuan. He blocked the blow and shielded her behind him, sternly chiding the wolf demon—though wariness laced his tone.
Seeing that the one blocking its path was Feng Xing of Azure City Mansion, the Sea Wolf narrowed its eyes and raised a razor-sharp wolf claw to lick it. “Feng Xing, are you trying to play the hero and protect this wretched girl? You think you can stop me?”
“Sea Wolf, she is the disciple of an old friend of mine.” Feng Xing did not back down. Instead, he slipped his hand behind his back and quietly signaled to the disciples standing behind him.
Neither side would yield, and the air grew thick with tension, swords drawn and bows bent.
In a flash, that massive wolf claw slammed down hard. Stones flew in all directions as the Sea Wolf threw back its proud head. Its eyes gleamed with cold, bloodthirsty light. “Fine, then. Today, I shall slaughter you all without—”
“Die.”
The final word fell almost in unison with the wet schlick of a sword blade piercing flesh, followed by the heavy thud of a massive body hitting the ground.
Blood dripped from the Azure Frost Sword. It spun through the air once before landing steadily back in Lu Shiyuan’s hand, trailing a streak of azure sword light.
The Sea Wolf’s eyes swiveled slowly. Foul blood bubbled from its throat. It strained to turn its head and catch a glimpse of its attacker, but it could not.
Everyone who witnessed the scene stared in stunned silence at the lithe figure standing behind the Sea Wolf.
She approached slowly. In the glow of the Night-Luminous Pearl, half of her breathtaking face came into view—cold and resolute. Her red skirt billowed around her, blending seamlessly with the pooling blood.
The sight seemed to perfectly overlap with a memory etched in their minds. At last, someone recalled the wedding three years ago in Yedu—the grand event that had shaken the Three Realms. On the Heaven Worship Platform, the bride’s joyous robes had fluttered, her phoenix crown framing her face. Someone murmured, “She looks just like—”
Before the words could finish, a violent rumble erupted from deep underground. As the onlookers steadied themselves against the stone walls in alarm and confusion, Shang Si flashed forward to stand in front of Lu Shiyuan.
In doing so, she came face-to-face with Feng Xing’s stern expression.
The two locked eyes in silent confrontation. But before Feng Xing could leverage his authority to issue a reprimand, Lu Shiyuan sidled quietly closer to Shang Si—one step, then two.
“!!” Feng Xing nearly blew his beard out in fury, his eyes bulging.
Only when the two women stood shoulder to shoulder, their long black hair intertwining, did the tension ease slightly.
Shang Si’s cold features softened in an instant, a smile blooming across her face. She reached out to take Lu Shiyuan’s hand, and her tone toward Feng Xing grew far more amiable. “Shiyuan’s old wounds haven’t fully healed yet. Azure City Mansion just saved her life—this debt of gratitude, Yedu will not forget.”
No sooner had the words left her mouth than the ground began to quake violently. Every face in the cavern grew grim.
