Chapter 143

Gu Ruoshui walked alongside Guan Qianqian for a stretch before suddenly stopping to grip her junior sister's shoulder. "What exactly did you think you were doing with that nonsense today?"

Guan Qianqian smiled. "Going with the flow, right? If they'd backed down, we could've taken that sword thief down a peg—after all, she stole your sword. And if they wanted to fight us, well, we're on Liuyun Sect's turf. Getting them disqualified would've been as easy as a word to my father."

"Senior Sister Gu, correct me if I'm wrong, but Qing Zhouxue is at your cultivation level, and her companions are no pushovers either."

Guan Qianqian's expression turned serious. "Without them, winning the Immortal Ascension Assembly is a sure thing for us."

Gu Ruoshui listened calmly, but at that last remark, her face chilled. "Guan Qianqian, do you think being the Sect Leader's daughter gives you license to play games at the Immortal Ascension Assembly?"

"Liuyun Sect is a righteous and prestigious sect—we don't need underhanded tricks to win. And neither do I."

She pulled her hand away and turned to leave, clearly intending to report to the Sect Leader at the main hall.

Guan Qianqian let out a heavy sigh, her face falling. She hurried after her, pleading, "Senior Sister, what's wrong with having a safety net? Don't you know... don't you know?"

"The sect's reputation is riding on this," she said, meeting Gu Ruoshui's gaze. "As the number one sect in the world, we've recently risked being overtaken by Taichu Sect."

"This time, we absolutely cannot lose."

Gu Ruoshui halted, then glanced at the two junior brothers walking behind. "Do you agree as well?"

They exchanged a look before speaking in unison, "Senior Sister, Junior Sister Guan has a point."

A flicker of hope crossed Guan Qianqian's face as she studied Gu Ruoshui's expression, which seemed veiled in a faint mist.

Then Gu Ruoshui smiled at her.

Guan Qianqian froze. It was rare to see her senior sister smile at her—just a subtle upward curve of the lips, beautiful to behold.

But the smile didn't reach her eyes.

Gu Ruoshui lifted her chin and said, word by word, "I won't lose. Neither will Liuyun Sect."

Guan Qianqian was taken aback as Gu Ruoshui pushed her shoulder, forcing her to step back. Then Gu Ruoshui turned away, her demeanor as cold and proud as ever. "Besides, beating them fair and square is true glory. Keep your antics in check."

She had always been like that—her eyes couldn't tolerate a speck of dust.

Guan Qianqian stood alone for a long while, then rubbed her waist, where a faint smear of mud was still barely visible.

---

Back by the spirit spring, Lin Xunzhen sat listening intently as Qing Zhouxue recounted the whole incident. She felt a headache coming on.

"Anyone who can team up with Gu Ruoshui must have a formidable background," Lin Xunzhen said, glaring at Ruan Mingzhu. "Why did you have to provoke this kind of trouble?"

"She was the unreasonable one. We were practicing sword arts in the open, not some hidden spot. How could she blame us for watching? If she'd just been sharp-tongued, that would be one thing, but she was about to attack us!"

Lin Xunzhen took a deep breath. "But you kicked her first, which puts us in the wrong. Ruan Mingzhu, maybe she was deliberately baiting you. The real goal might not be just that—it could be the Immortal Ascension Assembly. She's the Sect Leader's daughter. Don't you think Liuyun Sect will use this as an excuse?"

"We all have two eyes and a mouth—why does she get to look down on others?"

Bai Su interrupted, "Let's calm down and talk about this rationally. Stop arguing."

Lin Xunzhen fixed her eyes on the water. "I won't argue about who's right or wrong. Acting on impulse might feel good in the moment, but we've prepared for so long, and the sect has invested so much in us. If we go home without even setting foot in the arena, we'd shame Taichu Sect. How could we face the elders and the Sect Leader then?"

Ruan Mingzhu's eyes flew wide. "Are you saying... you want me to apologize?"

Lin Xunzhen didn't reply.

Ruan Mingzhu let out a few forced laughs, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. Finally, she managed, "...Fine then, I'll go!"

Her voice cracked on the last word. She turned away, wiping her face with the back of her hand, then hurried into the room, slamming the door behind her with a loud bang.

Bai Su frowned, waded out of the spring, scrambled barefoot into her shoes, and ran to the closed door.

Qing Zhouxue sat cross-legged by the water. "Is there any other way?"

Lin Xunzhen frowned. "If there were, I'd have thought of it by now."

"In that case," Qing Zhouxue said thoughtfully, "since this all started because of me, it'd be better if I went."

Lin Xunzhen sighed. "Actually, I'm surprised she agreed so easily. After all these years... she's changed a bit."

She gently swirled her legs in the water, then fell silent for a long time. "Junior Sister, do you think I'm too selfish?"

Lin Xunzhen looked downcast. "I said all that, but the truth is—I really want to compete in the Immortal Ascension Assembly. I don't want to lose this chance over these matters, so I'd rather swallow the humiliation."

Under the bright moon and clear sky, she lifted her face to look at Qing Zhouxue.

"You're Master Yun's only disciple, and she dotes on you, so you don't have that pressure. As for Bai Su and Ruan Mingzhu, their talents are exceptional, and their masters will naturally pay them special attention."

"My aptitude isn't bad, but my seniors are better than me. So... I have to seize every chance, give it my all, and never risk a single misstep."

Qing Zhouxue recalled her own younger days, when she too had feared her master might abandon her. But not anymore.

She nodded. "Senior Sister, don't blame yourself. From a logical standpoint, your reasoning is only natural."

Bai Su knocked on the door for a long time without any response, then walked back with a sigh.

Suddenly, another knock sounded at the courtyard gate, cutting through the night breeze.

They exchanged startled glances. At this hour, who could it be?

Qing Zhouxue turned the beast-head knockers and pushed open the heavy door.

Behind it, a pair of eyes gleamed, faint silver lightning flickering within, luminous in the darkness.

Only when the door swung fully open did Gu Ruoshui step inside, sword at her back. She glanced at the two behind Qing Zhouxue, then fixed her gaze back on her.

"May I have a word with you alone?"

Her voice was soft, threading through the night breeze.

Qing Zhouxue stepped out without hesitation, pulling the gate shut behind her. "What is it?"

Gu Ruoshui led her quite a distance until they stopped by a pond. Only then did she turn around.

"My junior sister can be a bit impetuous. Don't take her words to heart," she said. "The competition is imminent; there's no need for extra complications."

"Let's just pretend today never happened."

She looked at Qing Zhouxue. "What do you think?"

"No need to dwell on it," Qing Zhouxue replied.

That was certainly her preference. The whole affair was absurd and irrelevant to their purpose here.

"I'll keep her in check. However," Gu Ruoshui paused, then tilted her head, "I would still like to see your swordsmanship firsthand. I consider that a fair exchange for letting this go."

It was indeed fair.

Qing Zhouxue agreed.

A gust of wind rose, rustling her frost-white robes like fluttering banners. In the next instant, the Qingshuang Sword was drawn.

A flash of satisfaction lit Gu Ruoshui's eyes.

Back in the courtyard, Lin Xunzhen and Bai Su had been listening with bated breath. Suddenly, the clash of blades rang out, sharp and piercing. They flung the door open and rushed toward the sound.

In the darkness, the two women were blurry, moving so swiftly they seemed like afterimages. Only the interweaving silver arcs of lightning and the cold gleam of ice crystals left them dazzled.

Bai Su was about to intervene, but Lin Xunzhen noticed the exchange was balanced—this was a spar, not a fight. She shook her head at Bai Su.

The pond's surface churned violently, and soon the sword intent tore through the hapless water. Waves whipped into the air, froze solid, and crashed down as hard chunks that shattered into powder.

The wind howled.

The next resonant hum of a sword abruptly ceased.

Qing Zhouxue's blade hovered an inch from Gu Ruoshui's throat, while Gu Ruoshui's sword pointed at Qing Zhouxue's heart, equally still.

Their hair, still in motion, gradually settled.

A draw.

Gu Ruoshui sheathed her sword and straightened, letting out a soft breath. A hint of relief flickered across her face before vanishing. She finally noticed Bai Su and Lin Xunzhen watching. "The two of you aren't sword cultivators, are you?"

"Your companions—are they all sword cultivators?" Qing Zhouxue asked, curious.

"No. Guan Qianqian and the other two focus on spell techniques," Gu Ruoshui admitted.

Usually, competitors kept their strengths hidden for an edge in the competition.

It was rare to find people like these two, who casually laid out their entire hand in a few exchanges.

"Just as I suspected—this truly is your strength."

Gu Ruoshui's figure melted into the darkness.

"Until we meet again."

Qing Zhouxue watched her disappear. When she turned back, Lin Xunzhen and Bai Su rushed over, concern etched on their faces. "What happened? You talked, and then you just... fought?"

Perhaps that was how sword cultivators conversed—difficult for outsiders to grasp, yet oddly effective, as if a few exchanges could resolve almost anything.

Qing Zhouxue said, "Mm. Gu Ruoshui said that after sparring with me, she'd keep Guan Qianqian in check."

Bai Su blinked. "What?"

---

Gu Ruoshui's cultivation was roughly the same as Qing Zhouxue's. When she focused on the spar, her mind saw only the changes in forms. But when she returned to her room, she found her wrist aching severely from the impact.

Dragging her exhausted body, Qing Zhouxue waved a few cleaning spells to tidy up and was about to collapse into bed.

Just as she was about to lie down, she noticed a little white fluffball perched on her pillow. It was fast asleep, curled into a tiny sphere, all fluffy.

Sure enough, on the writing desk lay a letter.

【No matter how long the letter, this bird will deliver it. Don't hold back.】

...Seems her master was dissatisfied with her four-word reply.

She decided to write a long one tomorrow.

Qing Zhouxue had just gotten into bed when the white ball opened its eyes and flowed over like a soft glutinous rice cake, nestling against her neck. It tickled, like a blade of grass brushing against her.

The next day, Qing Zhouxue wrote the long letter, but then noticed something odd—ever since she'd taken in the little white bird, it hadn't eaten a single grain or drunk a drop of water. She wondered how it could still be so lively after all these days.

Spirit beasts rarely change their habits; even if they don't starve, prolonged fasting would leave them listless.

Qing Zhouxue frowned, trying to recall what Junior Sister Ruan's eagle ate.

Meat.

Finding meat in the mundane world wasn't difficult.

But at Liuyun Sect, it was extremely hard.

So the outer sect's dining hall finally came in handy.

Yet whether dried or fresh meat, even torn into shreds and offered right at its beak, the bird simply turned its head away.

"Aren't you hungry?" Qing Zhouxue gently rubbed the little ball, frowning. "Is this not to your taste?"

She felt that despite its roundness, most of that was feathers—there was barely any meat on its bones. Nourishment was urgent. In the following days, she kept her eyes peeled, poking around whenever she had a moment.

And so—

The little silver bird stared in horror at the plate of insects Qing Zhouxue had gathered—various kinds, all shapes and sizes—slowly approaching. In a panic, it suddenly shot straight at Qing Zhouxue, but she caught its wing with a quick hand.

Qing Zhouxue picked up a fat, white grub and held it right at the bird's beak.

The bird was stunned for a moment, then struggled violently, its snow-white wings spread wide, shaking like a sieve.