Chapter 10

Yin Xianyu turned her head away, thinking she might as well pretend she hadn’t heard that.

Fortunately, Xie Qingrang didn’t say anything else. She simply joined the remaining two in conversation, though most of the time it was the other two talking while Xie Qingrang listened quietly.

The three of them completely ignored Ling Yaoguang. Yin Xianyu watched her standing there and, for a moment, couldn’t even remember who she was.

After glancing over twice, Yin Xianyu followed when Xie Qingrang waved her over.

That left Ling Yaoguang to flee in disgrace under everyone’s gaze; the arrogance of Jade Stone Sect’s senior disciple from her everyday bearing was gone without a trace.

Being publicly humiliated in front of everyone was bad enough, and by Xie Qingrang of all people. Ling Yaoguang had never backed down from anyone in her life, yet she still felt utterly mortified.

It was almost as if the whispers around her were all aimed at her. When Zhao Ruitian saw her return with a dark face, she hardly dared breathe. She exchanged a glance with Yu Yuanqing, and the two of them could only shake their heads helplessly.

“I really don’t know why Senior Sister Yaoguang is so fixated on Immortal Lord Qingrang,” Yu Yuanqing murmured. “It’s obvious she and that person aren’t familiar with each other at all; she doesn’t want to pay her any mind either, and she cultivates the Heartless Dao, too...”

In the past two days, she’d grown fairly close with this junior sister, Zhao Ruitian. Though the other girl had some pride, she was genuinely easy to get along with; in the whole team, she was the only one Yu Yuanqing could exchange a few words with.

Zhao Ruitian glanced at her, somewhat helpless, but just then she saw that familiar figure beside Xie Qingrang and shifted her attention over again.

Wasn’t that Yin Xianyu?

Yu Yuanqing had clearly noticed it too, and her confusion deepened. “What’s going on today? Strange thing after strange thing. Weren’t those two supposed to have a bad relationship? Why are they standing together?”

Zhao Ruitian shook her head. Her chest felt faintly sore. She had once suffered at Yin Xianyu’s hands and nearly been unable to participate in this trial.

Though she had been the one to speak first, there were so many people saying things; why was it only her words that were heard? Zhao Ruitian could only pin her bad luck on the fact that Yin Xianyu shouldn’t have come out.

Seeing her expression darken as well, Yu Yuanqing tactfully shut her mouth.

The commotion over here did not draw anyone else’s attention. Quite a few gazes swept across Yin Xianyu, making her feel a little displeased, especially when certain words drifted into her ears.

Listening to them, Yin Xianyu frowned. What did they mean, when had her relationship with Xie Qingrang ever become so intimate? Wasn’t it always like this? What did they mean, how had these two ended up together?

And what was this about Yin Xianyu possibly holding some kind of leverage over Immortal Lord Qingrang? She had no idea when her fellow disciples had become so noisy, and they looked down on her from every angle.

Her yielding to Xie Qingrang was only out of respect and affection for Senior Sister, nothing more. When had that turned into her being some useless, filthy schemer clutching onto someone’s weakness?

Yin Xianyu was a little angry, but before she could refute any of it, Xie Qingrang waved a hand. One of the Senior Sisters from the Spirit Sky Sect led the surrounding disciples away, and the area fell quiet again.

Yin Xianyu had no choice but to let it go. She was a broad-minded person; she would just treat their words like air and let the wind scatter them.

What mattered was Senior Sister. As long as she was well, everything else lay outside her consideration.

Bo Wenyu soon came back. The Five Elements Formation would open at dusk; since they had entered only half a day ago and the sky was not yet dark, all they needed to do was wait outside.

Bo Wenyu handed Yin Xianyu a mustard-seed bag. “Junior Sister, thanks for bringing the three of us into your group. This is a little welcome gift.”

Yin Xianyu accepted it with a smile. There was no barrier set inside, so she could use everything freely. The other two also nodded to her, their attitude toward her very friendly.

That made Yin Xianyu feel even more warmly toward them. She thought Bo Wenyu really was a good person. Although she had pulled them in to share some of the pressure on Xie Qingrang, it still felt good to have teammates who were easy to get along with.

The few of them waited outside in harmony. Yin Xianyu checked the mustard-seed bag and found it packed full of spirit-gathering pills; one could say those were hard currency. Bo Wenyu had been very generous. She had originally prepared a share for Xie Qingrang too, but now all of it had ended up in Yin Xianyu’s hands.

Yin Xianyu happily accepted them. Xie Qingrang didn’t need these things anyway; she seemed so rich that everyone here probably couldn’t hope to compare.

Yin Xianyu couldn’t remember whether Qingxu Sect really had that kind of wealth. It almost felt as if they’d emptied the sect out. Was life not going to go on after they went back?

Just as Yin Xianyu was hesitating over whether to ask, a distant, ethereal melody drifted over.

She looked up and saw a jeweled carriage slowly approaching, drawn by nine heavenly steeds.

The black steeds stepped through the air, making for an extravagant show. The sound of silk and bamboo instruments never ceased; when one looked closer, there was even a faint fragrance in the wind. The carriage itself was a magical artifact. Though the spectacle was grand, artifacts like this generally served only as decoration; their defensive power was weak, while their spiritual energy consumption was enormous.

Everyone except the disciples of Xuantian Sect was full of envy and uproar.

Yin Xianyu couldn’t understand how anyone still had the nerve to put on such a display in the Xuanxu Realm. At a time like this, they ought to preserve their strength instead of wasting it for no reason.

Only after the carriage had gathered everyone’s attention did the person inside slowly step out.

The man was tall and long-limbed, dressed in a crimson robe threaded with gold. It seemed to be Eastern Sea silk with gold woven into it; with every step he took, the hem flashed with rippling gold light that made one’s eyes ache.

Over it he wore a layer of sheer rosy gauze, embroidered with huge peonies that bloomed from the shoulders all the way to the hem. Around his waist was a belt inlaid with agates; the buckle was a whole piece of pigeon-blood ruby, burning like a living flame beneath the dim, reddish light of the sky.

The disciples of Xuantian Sect all quietly lowered their heads. Even Bo Wenyu’s gaze faltered; the three of them turned away in unison, as if they did not want to look at this person.

Yin Xianyu felt that this man dressed far too ostentatiously, yet he also happened to have a gloomy face, making him look extremely difficult to deal with.

His gaze fell on their side, and he walked straight toward them with clear intent.

“Bo Wenyu, why are you here?”

Bo Wenyu rolled her eyes right in front of the two of them and turned back around with obvious reluctance. “Greetings, Senior Brother Pei.”

Pei Jiuxiao showed no awareness at all that he was unwelcome. He put on a smile he himself considered friendly, snapped his folding fan shut, and used it to poke Bo Wenyu’s shoulder, forcibly pushing her aside before stepping forward to greet Xie Qingrang as if no one else were there.

“Immortal Lord Qingrang, long time no see..."

Before he could finish, Xie Qingrang turned and walked off.

Pei Jiuxiao’s smile froze for an instant, then collapsed immediately. He hurried after her two steps, only to be blocked by the returning Bo Wenyu.

“Sorry, Senior Brother Pei,” she said. “You’re too late. Immortal Lord Qingrang has already agreed to enter the Five Elements Land with us.”

The other two, who had just been pretending to look around, immediately closed in and blocked Pei Jiuxiao’s path completely.

The three of them wore triumphant smiles, utterly ignoring the expression on Pei Jiuxiao’s face.

He was the foremost among Xuantian Sect’s disciples, a direct descendant of the Vermilion Bird Pei family and a master crafting family. Rich enough to rival a sect, he had fallen for Xie Qingrang at first sight six years ago, but she had no interest in him at all. Every time they met, she would not even say a complete sentence before leaving.

At first, he had still treated Bo Wenyu, who could get a word in with Xie Qingrang, with some courtesy. Later, it had become exactly like this.

After showing off enough, Bo Wenyu left in satisfaction with the other three.

Yin Xianyu followed behind Senior Sister, occasionally glancing back at that fiery red figure. She didn’t really have any impression of this man either, but from how familiar he looked, she could guess a thing or two about his intentions. He was just like a peacock spreading its tail, only Senior Sister seemed even less approachable than before.

Yin Xianyu thought about it and felt that it probably had nothing to do with her, so she simply followed Xie Qingrang back onto the ship.

The two of them sat down and adjusted their breathing. Chiling flew out from Xie Qingrang’s sleeve at first, intending to protect them, but then settled back down again. Yin Xianyu reflexively reached out to hold the sword, only for Xie Qingrang to suddenly seize the hand she had extended toward Chiling.

Yin Xianyu looked up in surprise. “What’s wrong, Senior Sister?”

Xie Qingrang lowered her eyes and let go. “Don’t touch my sword again in the future.”

Yin Xianyu stared at Chiling. The jade sword emitted a soft glow, seeming somewhat intimate, yet also a little different from before.

“Why? You’re not even cultivating the Heartless Dao, and I didn’t stop you from touching my Hanguang.”

She clenched her fists, as if somewhat unconvinced.

Xie Qingrang gave no explanation; she simply withdrew Chiling. The jade sword’s chill was bone-deep, like ice that had never melted in ten thousand years; compared to Hanguang, it was three parts colder.

Seeing her like this, Yin Xianyu only grew more displeased. A rebellious impulse rose in her heart. With no one else around, she actually stepped forward and hugged Xie Qingrang around the waist. “Senior Sister, that’s really unfair. It’s not like I’ve never touched Chiling before.”