Chapter 3

And so Qing Zhouxue stayed by the side of a stranger. Truth be told, she had no better option than the one before her.

Through fragments of idle conversation over the past few days, she learned the woman's name: Yun Shuchen.

Unknown origins. Unknown identity.

Holding a small twig, she wrote the characters of the name stroke by stroke on the ground, and Qing Zhouxue committed them to memory completely.

Yun Shuchen's life was rather monotonous. Every day she either sat in meditation or slept. In fact, the line between meditation and sleep blurred until the two were indistinguishable.

Qing Zhouxue was not lively or restless. Compared to other children her age, she was quiet in a way that endeared her to others. Raising her required no effort at all—just providing food and drink at regular intervals. Yun Shuchen sometimes felt she was caring for a potted plant rather than a child who would cry and make a fuss. That little thing could stay in one spot all day doing nothing, and she did not even seem particularly bored.

"Want to go out and play?" Yun Shuchen asked during one of her rare wakeful moments.

"Not really."

Because of her special constitution, her father had often warned her to stay indoors; if she absolutely had to go out, she had to pick a time when few people were around. In her limited understanding, the sky was square, surrounded by courtyard walls on all sides, and the only familiar person was her father.

Habits had already formed, and changing them was not easy.

"Then read some books."

Yun Shuchen let out a soft sigh, grasped the jade bracelet on her wrist, and miraculously produced several books that were still fairly easy to understand from thin air. She tossed them in front of Qing Zhouxue.

The light was dim, so she took a night pearl from the lamp stand and set it beside the books, then sat cross-legged to read. Thanks to a father who had once passed the imperial examination, Qing Zhouxue had no trouble with literacy. That book looked quite old, its cover yellowed, contrasting sharply with the meticulously decorated cave dwelling and its mistress, who was refined in every way.

She opened the first page: "Fundamentals of Wen Chu."

【Chapter One: Drawing Qi into the Body.】

She recognized each of these four characters, but when combined, they became obscure and difficult.

That was fine—she kept reading. For unfamiliar terms, the book generally offered explanations.

【Between heaven and earth, besides ordinary things that can be seen and touched, there exists an invisible and intangible "qi." Its total amount remains constant, and it can transform from one object to another. This is the foundation for cultivators to advance.】

Qing Zhouxue frowned at this point.

She recalled Yun Shuchen's gesture.

From her fingertip, out of emptiness, a clear drop of water had condensed.

Subconsciously, she raised her own hand and clumsily imitated the motion. Unfortunately, her arm ached after being held up for a long while, and nothing extraordinary occurred.

Invisible and intangible, both were formed from the void into substance.

Although one was "qi" and the other was water, she felt there was a vague connection between them.

She was immersed in thought, unaware that the woman resting nearby had quietly opened her eyes, watched her clumsy imitation, and seemed lost in thought.

Truly sharp.

Yun Shuchen silently evaluated in her heart.

One morning, Yun Shuchen rose early, contrary to her usual habit. She dressed neatly and stood gracefully at the entrance of the cave dwelling. Qing Zhouxue looked at her silhouette against the light, rubbing her eyes in confusion.

"It's time to go back."

"Back where?" Qing Zhouxue tucked the book into her bosom and looked up at her. In the days since her arrival, Yun Shuchen had never stepped outside the cave.

It was the first time Qing Zhouxue saw her standing in the daylight, and she noticed how pale her skin was, lacking color, as delicate as mutton-fat jade.

"The Taichu Sect."

These words drifted faintly to her ears. Qing Zhouxue was startled, but before she could react, the woman swept her up into the clouds, soaring into the high sky. The wind roared past her ears, drowning out all else.

Only when Yun Shuchen fastened a cloak around her did the fierce wind oddly cease, allowing her to catch her breath. She looked down—the cave dwelling was already out of sight. Ascending high and gazing far, riding the clouds back, she could see a corner of the small town she had passed through on her way here, where people were as small as ants, clustered densely together.

"Are you a person of the Taichu Sect?"

It was the familiar question with a new prefix. Yun Shuchen glanced at her. The child's eyes were slightly bright, and for some reason, she seemed particularly attentive at the mention of "Taichu Sect."

"Mm." She let out a soft laugh. "Why?"

Qing Zhouxue stared at the red string around her ankle and whispered, "My father told me to come here to make a living."

"Make a living?" Yun Shuchen fell silent for a moment. "This isn't a place that takes in stray children. If you want to stay, the most respectable way is to catch the eye of one of the elders or the Sect Leader and be taken in as a personal disciple or something."

"Elder..."

Qing Zhouxue didn't understand the term yet. However, "elder" and "senior" both described people of advanced age, so in her mind, she naturally pictured an elderly figure with white hair and high virtue.

She looked up at the woman's beautiful side profile, paused, and asked in confusion, "Then... which elder are you under?"

Seeing no intention to answer, Qing Zhouxue lowered her gaze and thought for a moment, then realization dawned. "You look so extraordinary and can ride the clouds, so you must be the Sect Leader's disciple."

"..."

Her cheek was pinched between two fingers. A slight squeeze made Qing Zhouxue cry out in pain, and she turned her head away, tears welling up. Yun Shuchen withdrew her hand, and with a flick of her sleeve, the cloud beneath them changed direction.

She said calmly, "He is my senior apprentice brother."

It was a warm spring day with a gentle eastern breeze. Soon, the full view of the Taichu Sect came into sight, and Qing Zhouxue saw the familiar mountain path from her arrival. She was slightly surprised at this distance, thinking that she really had rolled quite far that day—from halfway up the mountain to the foot, yet she had still managed to get up and crawl.

They stepped onto a towering peak, atop which stood an ancient, grand wooden pavilion. Qing Zhouxue looked at the three bold characters in the center—Chunqiu Hall. On the left and right were a couplet inscribed in gold paint, exuding an air of majesty.

As Qing Zhouxue crossed the threshold, she suddenly heard a resonant, powerful bell toll, solemnly spreading out.

Yun Shuchen led her in gracefully.

The hall was clean and bright. There was a low table with fruits, tea, and also a Sect Leader.

Contrary to Qing Zhouxue's expectations, the Sect Leader appeared at most thirty, handsome and spirited, far too young.

Her cheek seemed to ache again, and she thought she understood why Yun Shuchen had pinched her.

"Long time no see. I've missed you." Yun Shuchen smiled. "How has my senior brother been lately?"

The Sect Leader took a sip of tea expressionlessly, waved his sleeve, and said, "Skip the pleasantries. Sit. Judging by your vitality, your internal injuries seem much better. Remember to come to the meeting tomorrow."

He looked up and suddenly paused. "Eh, whose little girl is this?"

"Found her in the wilderness. She said she wanted to come to the Taichu Sect, so I brought this little one along."

Yun Shuchen spoke casually, as if it were a trivial favor. But the Sect Leader's gaze swept over the red thread on the child's ankle, which carried a wisp of his junior sister's soul. Something that important would not be given lightly.

She must have seen something special in this girl. The Sect Leader noticed but did not ask, genuinely curious, and quietly took note of the child.

He observed her clear brows and eyes; though young, her dark eyes held a calm and tranquility. Standing in the hall beside Yun Shuchen with neither humility nor arrogance, she showed not a trace of timidity.

At the very least, she was a well-bred child.

At this moment, Yun Shuchen summoned a female disciple waiting at the door and asked her to take Qing Zhouxue to her Heyi Peak first, saying she had matters to discuss with the Sect Leader.

"I cast a divination before leaving this time, as you know," Yun Shuchen said, settling into a chair and pouring tea for herself. "The hexagram pointed east, seeming to indicate some great fortune. I went east along that path, waited for a month, but saw no rare treasure. Just before I was about to give up, I encountered a little girl who stumbled into my cave."

"I never imagined it would be a grimy child like that." Yun Shuchen's voice suddenly lowered. "But her background..."

"She can attract heavenly thunder."

The Sect Leader paused in turning the sandalwood beads in his hand and frowned. "Really?"

Both had lived for over a century, and with a glance, they understood each other's meaning.

Cultivators act against heaven's will, so every tribulation brings the punishment of heavenly thunder.

This little one was just a mortal, with not a shred of cultivation, yet she could incur such disaster.

What kind of person could provoke such wariness from the Heavenly Dao that it sought to destroy her while she was still weak?

The Sect Leader's expression grew grave.

Yun Shuchen, however, quickly returned to her usual tone and said with a smile, "Overthinking it is pointless. I tied a red string to conceal her aura. Rest assured, even if she is heaven's chosen, she has entered the Taichu Sect's territory. With her innate fortune, a mere bolt of thunder won't kill her."

Heyi Peak was located in the northwest of the Taichu Sect, with a great marsh at its center. Every year in spring and summer, the warm southeastern winds would be moistened by the marsh's vapors, and when they reached Heyi Peak, the temperature dropped, condensing into rain and snow.

Generally, snow in spring, rain in summer.

As Qing Zhouxue stepped onto the peak, she trod on something soft, white, and chilly. She immediately pulled back her foot, like a small beast startled by heat. The senior sister leading her found it odd. "Haven't you seen snow before?"

"...Mm." If she meant the stuff on the ground.

"Alright." The young woman was puzzled as to where this child had come from, so hot a place as to never see snow. "My name is Lin Xunzhen. I'm a disciple of Elder Zhou. You can call me Senior Sister Lin."

"This is Heyi Peak. Elder Yun usually resides in this courtyard alone. Don't be afraid." After saying this, she couldn't help adding, "Are you Elder Yun's little disciple?"

Yun Shuchen, Elder Yun.

Qing Zhouxue shook her head. "She hasn't said so. I'm not."

Lin Xunzhen raised an eyebrow at that, then comforted her, "She's never taken a disciple before. If she brought you back, she must like you very much."

"I still have some matters to attend to, so I'll be off now. Stay here and don't wander around. Senior Uncle Yun will be back soon." With that, she turned and left.

Qing Zhouxue didn't have a chance to call her back. She discovered that the gate to the courtyard wouldn't open for her, and she had no key or token. Senior Sister Lin had walked off quickly and soon disappeared from view.

She supposed Lin didn't live here, so Qing Zhouxue had no choice but to squat by the door, staring at the stone lion in a battle of wills.

A crystal snowflake landed on her nose, melting into water that trickled down. She stuck out her tongue to taste it—no flavor.

The heavy snow quickly piled on the branches. She watched as they bent under the weight, and when they reached their limit, the snow bounced off and scattered. One chunk flew straight at her head; she didn't dodge in time. With a soft thud, snow covered her eyelashes, brows, head, and body.

A light laugh sounded not far away.

Yun Shuchen had returned at some point. She walked over, brushed her sleeve, and swept the loose snow from Qing Zhouxue's head.

She covered her mouth and coughed lightly, as if she had inhaled some cold wind. Then she teased, "What are you doing squatting here? Trying to steal its job?"

Following her pointing finger—she clearly indicated the majestic, fierce stone lion.