The sect-wide tournament was imminent. By tomorrow, disciples from various sects would gather at Wanjian Sect for the competition. Only the champion would earn the right to witness the "Sword Monument" atop Tianji Peak.
Ji Rong thought to herself, since she had already set her sights on claiming the top spot, she might as well give it a try. Who knows? She might just win.
And if things didn't go as planned, she could always cheat with a Great Rejuvenation Pill. One way or another, victory was hers. There was no way she would lose to Gu Somebody.
For the past few days, Ji Rong had been diligently cultivating in Wantangju. She could vaguely sense the barrier of her realm loosening, and within her sea of consciousness, she caught a glimpse of the breakthrough point.
Tears welled up in her eyes. Could it be that she was truly a cultivation genius?
But just as she was on the verge of breaking through, a major incident occurred.
The Prince of Chu's concubine, Lady Xu, was dead.
At first glance, this had nothing to do with the upcoming sect tournament. However, the coroner discovered a sword wound on Lady Xu's neck.
After an investigation by one of the Prince of Chu's guest officials, it was confirmed that the killer had used an advanced sword technique. Lady Xu had not suffered, she had been slain in a single, clean strike.
Normally, this would have been dismissed. After all, she was merely a neglected concubine, and the Prince of Chu had no reason to make a fuss over her death.
However, Lady Xu had been known for her piety, frequently donating to the poor. Many commoners had benefited from her charity, and upon learning of her murder, they were outraged. A crowd gathered outside the Prince of Chu's residence, demanding justice. The palace guards tried to disperse them, but to no avail.
By sheer coincidence, Jiang Fei, a second-generation disciple of Wanjian Sect, happened to be traveling through the capital. When the people pleaded for his help, he agreed to investigate the case.
And what he discovered was unexpected—
Within the concubine's courtyard, Jiang Fei detected traces of spiritual energy. The lingering fluctuations suggested the recent use of a teleportation talisman, which would not dissipate for another three days.
Following the trail, Jiang Fei tracked the talisman's destination to the capital. Expanding his divine sense to trace the origin, he made a startling discovery—the starting point was in Tianshui Prefecture.
Everyone knew that Tianshui Prefecture housed only one sect: Tianyin Division. But no one had ever heard of a disciple from Tianyin Division excelling in both swordsmanship and talismanic arts.
As the Prince of Chu's men began investigating the sects that had recently passed through Tianshui Prefecture, an urgent message arrived from the sky—
A divine steed galloped across the heavens, bearing a young messenger who announced the decree of the Divine Envoy to all sects:
—The Heavenly Demon has appeared in the southeast. All must unite to eradicate it.
The High Priest had perished years ago, which meant that there was only one person who could have issued this decree.
Ji Rong felt her head throbbing. Why had the Divine Sect's Saintess already predicted the emergence of the Heavenly Demon? In the game, wasn't this supposed to happen after witnessing the Sword Monument?
She was now certain, the plot had gone off track.
But where had things started to derail? No matter how much she racked her brain, she couldn't figure it out.
Cultivation requires a calm and focused mind. Yet, with all these uncertainties, Ji Rong found herself unable to concentrate. She temporarily set aside her training and began sorting through the sequence of events.
After half a day of contemplation, she was still at a loss.
Logically speaking, she had been following the script, maintaining her character's persona without deviation. Nothing should have gone wrong.
That meant there was only one variable.
Ji Rong thought of the lunatic protagonist and her increasingly bizarre behavior over the past few months.
Yes, this was definitely Gu Baiyi's fault.
She needed to consult someone wise.
—
The outer sect of Wanjian Sect
Shangqing Peak, Qiushuiju.
Ye Chuyang looked at Ji Rong standing before him. His usual blank expression became even more wooden.
He pondered for a long while but still couldn't understand why Ji Rong was in his quarters, especially when he was just about to leave for class.
For the sake of fairness, Wanjian Sect had structured most of its classes to be open to both inner and outer disciples.
Which meant that Ji Rong obviously had a class to attend as well. Yet she stood there, indifferent, as if it didn't concern her in the slightest.
After a long pause, Ye Chuyang finally spoke in his usual slow manner: "Senior Sister, Elder Ye's swordsmanship class costs fifteen jade essences per session."
It was well known that Ye Chuyang was extremely frugal. He had never once used teleportation arrays while traveling. The only reason he never skipped class was simple, he valued every single jade essence.
Ji Rong was well aware of his personality and understood his struggles.
However, maintaining her calm demeanor, she cut straight to the point: "Junior Brother Ye, you've mastered three thousand sword techniques. Don't you think Elder Ye's class is a waste of time?"
Ye Chuyang remained silent.
Because, truthfully, he agreed with her.
But Elder Ye's swordsmanship class was mandatory. Even if he didn't want to spend that many jade essences, he had no choice but to purchase at least thirty sessions.
Ji Rong, with a serious expression, continued, "But if you help me with something, I'll pay you triple the amount in jade essences."
Triple?
The blankness on Ye Chuyang's face slowly faded. Awkwardly, he tried to smile and said, "Senior Sister, please ask away."
"Those who possess the highest virtue do not seek it, and thus they attain the One. The One is chaos. Chaos leads to tranquility and softness. Tranquility and softness lead to harmony. Harmony ensures stability, and stability leads to great attainment."
Gu Baiyi listened to Ye Yizhou's lecture, but her gaze lingered on the empty seat in front of her, her thoughts drifting elsewhere.
In this life, Mei Lixue had already deduced the location where the Heavenly Demon would descend. If she remained in Wanjian Sect any longer, it would only invite disaster.
Lost in thought, Gu Baiyi recalled the words Bai Yushuang had spoken to her under the moonlight a month ago.
Back then, Bai Yushuang had unfastened the purple jade pendant from the Lotus Flute, handed it to her, and smiled. "No matter what happens, one day, you will need me."
"As long as you crush this pendant, I will find you, no matter where you are."
Now, Gu Baiyi opened her palm, gazing at the purple jade pendant resting within.
After a long moment, she placed it back into her embroidered pouch, her expression as calm as ever.
Yet beneath that calm, a faint trace of loneliness lingered.
Gu Baiyi's thoughts drifted to the Demon Sect that stood tall upon the western mountains. The grand palace concealed the sky, casting an endless shadow, with only a blood-red moon hanging high above.
Countless demonic cultivators yearned to claim the throne atop Phoenix Terrace, yet to her, that place felt nothing but cold and desolate, devoid of any warmth.
Speaking of warmth, many images flashed through Gu Baiyi's mind, but in the end, they settled upon Chonghua Tower.
She remembered how beautiful the night was that evening. Ji Rong had sat beside her on the rooftop, gazing at the moon as they shared a jug of "Eternal Drunkenness."
Wine trickled from Ji Rong's slightly parted lips, trailing along the curve of her upturned neck, soaking into the pristine white collar of her robe.
Gu Baiyi hesitated for a moment, momentarily forgetting what she had intended to say next.
Then, as she finally found her voice again, fireworks erupted across the sky, illuminating half the heavens, swallowing all words in their brilliance.
The blooming fireworks were indeed beautiful, but what she could never forget was the fleeting silence that followed their vanishing light.
Gu Baiyi tilted her head back, watching as ten thousand lanterns descended from the sky like moths drawn to a flame, their golden glow reflecting in the eyes of the woman beside her.
The brightness stung her eyes, so she turned away, gazing instead at the quiet, distant moon. Raising her cup, she whispered, "The moonlight is beautiful tonight."
Afterward, Ji Rong got drunk, resting her head on Gu Baiyi's lap as she mumbled a few intoxicated words.
Gu Baiyi hadn't taken them seriously, merely thinking that her Senior Sister was the same as always, detached and indifferent.
She reached out and gently smoothed the crease between Ji Rong's brows. Her original plan had been to take her back to Wantangju, but she hadn't expected the supposedly sound-asleep drunkard to suddenly open her eyes.
Reeking of alcohol, Ji Rong lazily played with Gu Baiyi's hair, smiling as she asked, "Beauty, why don't you smile?"
Gu Baiyi stiffened, her hands and feet awkwardly frozen, unsure of where to place them.
Ji Rong touched her face, sighed regretfully, and smiled. "Such a beautiful face, yet you don't like to smile. What a pity."
Feeling the cool touch lingering on her cheek, Gu Baiyi thought to herself, Senior Sister must be truly drunk. Who does she think I am?
But just as she was about to brush it off, Ji Rong unexpectedly furrowed her brows, lifted Gu Baiyi's chin, and in a tone both displeased and commanding, said, "Gu Baiyi, you're always so arrogant. I won't let this go. Today, you must smile for me."
Gu Baiyi: "..."
Am I really that arrogant?
Though puzzled, hearing her own name left her with little choice. She forced a faint smile and asked in a low voice, "Senior Sister, are you satisfied now?"
Ji Rong looked at her seriously and demanded more. "Not enough! What kind of smile is that? So fake."
Gu Baiyi: "..."
She sighed inwardly. Senior Sister, you brought this upon yourself.
Without another word, Gu Baiyi flipped Ji Rong's hand over, pulling her into an embrace. Lowering her head, she pressed a kiss to her lips.
Her lips were soft and warm, carrying the lingering taste of "Eternal Drunkenness." Losing herself in the moment, she deepened the kiss, savoring every detail.
It wasn't until Ji Rong's inky black hair fell into disarray and her breath grew uneven that Gu Baiyi finally, reluctantly, pulled away.
She glanced at Ji Rong's slightly swollen lips, and guilt crept into her heart. She had taken advantage of a drunk person, how could she not feel ashamed?
But then Ji Rong looked at her, lips moving slightly before she solemnly asked, "Are you a dog?"
Gu Baiyi: "..."
Her guilt vanished instantly.