Chapter 44: Little Luo

Shen Guang finally met Lu Shiyuan three days later.

The news of their little junior sister’s return swept through Sword Spirit Sect’s peaks like the wind, soon reaching every disciple’s ears. Fellow sect members who had received her care in the past all rushed over, trampling the threshold of the small peak where she once lived.

Meanwhile, the two new disciples who had blocked Lu Shiyuan at the sect gate three days earlier were roundly lectured by their senior brothers and sisters.

“Are you staying this time?” Shen Guang asked as soon as he saw his little junior sister. He had just returned from his mission, covered in the dust of the road.

Lu Shiyuan had just sent off the latest wave of visitors. Seeing that Shen Guang had come alone, she let out a quiet sigh of relief. “Not for now. We’ll figure out what comes next after the Spirit Void Palace’s Centennial Assembly.”

She studied the tall, straight figure before her—the man in blue robes who stood like a pine tree—and smiled with a touch of nostalgia. “Senior Brother, it’s been a long time.”

Three years.

Three years ago, Shen Guang and a group of senior brothers had represented the sect on a trip to Yedu to offer congratulations on Ye Lord’s grand wedding, standing in as family. But disaster had struck midway, and they had nearly perished on the journey home.

All those events from back then were still fresh in Lu Shiyuan’s mind. She wondered if Shen Guang ever lay awake at night, thinking of their fellow disciples who had died so innocently on that Gobi wasteland. She did.

She couldn’t stop thinking that if only she had been more vigilant at the time.

Three years prior, she had failed to protect her sect brothers and sisters. Three years later, even with her cultivation fully restored and stronger than ever, she remained mired in uncertainty, entirely on the defensive.

As they caught up on old times, Lu Shiyuan explained the reason for her return—including what she had encountered in that border town.

Shen Guang wasn’t the first to hear it. She had already spoken with the sect master.

She had committed every word from Shang Si to memory and was determined to handle it flawlessly, putting her mind at ease.

“So Ye Lord is the one who sent you back,” Shen Guang said, reading between the lines. For some reason, a sour note crept into his voice. “Just as I thought. Once a junior sister marries, she’s like water spilled from the bucket. You’ve come back in body, but your heart’s still in Yedu.”

Lu Shiyuan picked up on it, but she could only feel helpless.

“Senior Brother.” She put a little emphasis on the words and let out a sigh.

She was the little junior sister he had watched grow up, after all. Shen Guang didn’t want to tease her into an awkward spot, so he shifted the subject. “All right, enough joking around. Give me your hand.”

He wanted to check her injuries, just like always.

It had been the same in the past. Lu Shiyuan remembered how Shang Si had been displeased about it back when she was still in Yedu.

But circumstances had changed. Harboring new intentions now, Lu Shiyuan extended her hand obediently, as she always had.

Her sleeve slipped back, baring a stretch of pale, slender wrist. Shen Guang laid two fingers on it and focused his senses, his mind clear of stray thoughts.

One second. Two seconds. As before, he sent a thread of spiritual power into her body. But then—

“You…”

“Your injuries—they’re healed?!”

That thread of power had barely entered Lu Shiyuan’s body before it encountered a vast, majestic aura that crushed it flat.

They hadn’t clashed directly, but Shen Guang recognized the implications of that overwhelming presence.

Lu Shiyuan only smiled, saying nothing. Her expression told the whole story.

Shen Guang remained stunned for a long moment before he murmured, almost in awe, “It looks like Ye Lord really does treat you well.”

No trace of sourness this time.

Lu Shiyuan’s full recovery was clearly joyous news for him. “That’s fantastic. Back then, the sect master took you to every major sect under heaven, but none could find a cure. Shang Si truly is your lucky star.”

“She treats me better than I deserve.” Just mentioning Shang Si made Lu Shiyuan’s eyes crinkle with warmth. “That’s why I need your help, Senior Brother. We can’t let anyone think people from Sword Spirit Sect are useless at handling things.”

She had circled the conversation neatly back to the heart of the matter.

Shen Guang knew exactly what she meant. The smile faded from his face, replaced by a grave expression.

No matter if mortal realm cultivators were behind the slaughter of those nine hundred Demon Race members or not, the sects like theirs would have to shoulder the blame.

The night dew hung heavy, and the lamplight in the room had dimmed. Lu Shiyuan added more oil to the wick and settled in with him for a proper discussion.

“I ran into Yun Feng on my trip,” Shen Guang said abruptly. “He mentioned a few things about you.”

The sudden mention of Yun Feng’s name from Shen Guang’s lips caught Lu Shiyuan off guard.

She remembered it well—a few months earlier, he had parted ways with her on Kunlun Mountain, saying he was taking those two nightingale demons home.

“And then?” she asked.

“I hadn’t really noticed at first, but Yun Feng told me he’d been sent by the sect down to Jiangnan to investigate the extermination of the Nightingale Demons…” At that point, Shen Guang glanced over at his little junior sister.

The instant their eyes met, a veil of fog lifted between them.

There was a connection.

Digging deeper, it made sense. In recent years, most of the incidents had involved scattered, inconspicuous clans of minor demons—weak groups without formidable strength or visibility. They rarely appeared in the public eye, so even when disaster struck, no one noticed right away.

But incidents like these piled up, and eventually, the truth came out. You couldn’t keep paper wrapped around fire forever.

The Nightingale Demons’ case, which Lu Shiyuan had previously overlooked, now served as crucial confirmation.

In less than two months, reports poured in from sects across the land. Other demon clans that had vanished for a short while, just like the Nightingales, had met the same gruesome fate.

By now, though, too much time had passed. Any investigation came too late.

Half a year flew by in the blink of an eye—a mere flick of the fingers to cultivators like them.

Lu Shiyuan spent it in a whirlwind of activity. When she finally paused to count the days, she realized the Spirit Void Palace’s Centennial Meeting was only half a month away.

Over those six months, she had dashed from place to place alongside core disciples from several other sects, piecing together some solid leads. But the relentless pace meant her contact with Shang Si had naturally dwindled.

In the past month especially, Shang Si had vanished without a trace.

Lu Shiyuan had no idea what was keeping Yedu so occupied lately.

All she knew was that the attendee lists for the major sects had been released, and she and Shen Guang would represent Sword Spirit Sect at Spirit Void Palace.

The Centennial Meeting traced its origins back to the collapse of the Six Realms. With the Immortal Realm no longer overseeing things from above, Yedu had stepped in, forging the pact alongside the Three Realms to preserve peace.

These days, the Devil Realm had sealed its gates, so recent gatherings involved only the human and demon realms. The two sides clashed often enough in daily life, but they’d managed an uneasy peace for years.

This time, however, the air already crackled with something different—even before it began.

Sword Spirit Sect arrived early, thanks to their proximity to Spirit Void Palace. Within a couple of days, Kunlun Sect and Purple Firmament followed suit.

Then came the delegation from Yedu.

As a neutral third party with ample authority and power, they were certain to send representatives.

As the glow of spiritual energy from the Teleportation Array faded, Lu Shiyuan—who had been waiting ahead of time—scanned the emerging crowd. She didn’t see the face she longed for. Instead…

“Big Sister Lu!” A lovely young woman in a flowing water-blue gauze dress stood at the front of Yedu’s group. She bolted straight toward Lu Shiyuan.

Lu Shiyuan racked her brain but couldn’t recall ever meeting her.

“You’re…?” she asked hesitantly after a moment.

“Have I changed that much?” The girl blinked in confusion at Lu Shiyuan’s blank look.

She touched her cheek.

It was indeed Shang Luo. What had started as bewilderment at their reunion melted into a helpless smile. “What do you think? Last time we met, you only came up to my thigh—so tiny.” Lu Shiyuan held her palm at waist height to demonstrate, still marveling at the difference.

“If you put it that way, I suppose I have grown a fair bit,” Shang Luo said with sudden realization. A sweet smile bloomed on her face regardless.

The Shang family bloodline wasn’t quite human, nor was it like that of demons.

They had distinct growth phases. As children, they resembled human kids of seven or eight. But once they hit their developmental surge—a qualitative leap in strength—they blossomed into the image of a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old maiden.

Three years ago, after a devastating injury, Shang Luo’s dear little aunt had tossed her into a secret realm. Now, emerging from seclusion, she stood as a graceful young lady. Her looks had transformed, and her power was no longer comparable to her former self.

In Yedu, no one would bat an eye at such a change. Lu Shiyuan was the first familiar face she’d encountered here at Spirit Void Palace. Without the prompt, Shang Luo might not have even noticed—only now did it sink in.

But Lu Shiyuan’s chief concern lay elsewhere.

“Did your little aunt come along?” She peered past Shang Luo at the rest of the group—familiar faces aplenty, but no sign of Shang Si.

Lu Shiyuan pressed her lips together. Shang Si had been gone a full month.

“Oh, right—I almost forgot…” At the question, Shang Luo twisted her delicate brows in chagrin.

Today’s welcoming crowd wasn’t just Sword Spirit Sect. Representatives from all sides had gathered, their eyes fixed on one burning question: Would the Ye Lord make an appearance?

The conversation that followed touched on Shang Si’s whereabouts, so Shang Luo deliberately cleared her throat. Feigning casual chatter with Lu Shiyuan, she raised her voice just enough for everyone to hear: “Sister Lu, Auntie asked me to tell you there’s unusual activity from the resentful spirits deep underground in Yedu. She’s tied up and can’t make it over. Even spirit talisman messages can’t get through there.”

“I am the Young Lord of Yedu. I will represent Yedu at this meeting in Spirit Void Palace.”

The words sent varied expressions rippling across the faces of the assembled factions. The spark in Lu Shiyuan’s eyes dimmed swiftly, giving way to a serene calm.

Shang Luo alone seemed utterly oblivious to the shifting moods around her.

Without a hint of self-consciousness, she stepped forward and looped her arm intimately through Lu Shiyuan’s, her voice sweet as honey. “Sister Lu, it’s been ages since I last saw you. Why don’t you take me back to your temporary lodgings so we can catch up properly?”

As she spoke, she gave her companion’s arm a subtle squeeze and shot the crowd a playful wink.