Pei Yuhan looked at him, her slender, green fingers delicately buttoning her shirt. She said expressionlessly, "I don't believe it."
Lin Xuanyan asked, "So, do you want to silence me?"
Pei Yuhan couldn't help but laugh. She wiped her messy, white, stained lower body with a small piece of silk embroidered with white cranes. The red marks on her body gradually faded, and her snow-white skin tinged with a faint pink. Without looking at Lin Xuanyan, she simply shook her head and said, "Master said that swords are not for slaughtering the weak."
Lin Xuanyan thought for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Why?"
Pei Yuhan replied, "Because the sword..."
Lin Xuanyan interrupted quickly, "You know that's not what I'm asking."
Pei Yuhan folded the stained silk and placed it on the edge of the bed. She stood up and took a pair of panties from the closet. Turning around, Lin Xuanyan could see her delicate buttocks and the bright red between her thighs. Looking at Pei Yuhan's body, he suddenly felt his blood boiling.
He was shocked. He had long since become completely absorbed in swordsmanship, so why was he so consumed by lust? He could even hear his heartbeat, each one like the beating of a drum.
Pei Yuhan opened the closet and pulled out a pair of thin silk pants. "Do they look good?"
Lin Xuanyan's eyes swept over Pei Yuhan's slender, taut legs, wondering why he hadn't noticed before that his apprentice had such a beautiful figure. The scene from just now kept replaying in his mind. He vaguely guessed the reason,
but he still felt puzzled.
Seeing he didn't answer, Pei Yuhan glanced back at him and said, "I've been a prodigy in cultivation since childhood.
Now I've reached the pinnacle. I'm the Xuanyuan Dynasty's only female swordsman."
He had personally recognized Pei Yuhan's talent, so he certainly understood. He just didn't understand why she was bringing it up now, so he could only reply, "Very impressive."
Pei Yuhan sat back on the edge of the bed, slowly lifting her delicate feet and slipping them into her panties. As she put them on, her voice hollow and bewildered, "But if my master saw me like this, he'd definitely be disappointed."
Lin Xuanyan agreed, saying, "Perhaps."
Pei Yuhan looked up at him, her beautiful eyes glistening. "You think so too?"
Lin Xuanyan didn't answer, but simply repeated his previous question, "Why?"
Pei Yuhan's expression shifted slightly, and she smiled sadly, "Didn't anyone tell you about cultivation when you were in the Lin family?" Lin Xuanyan shook his head.
Pei Yuehan whispered, "No wonder you joined the Sword Sect. Don't you know that the Sword Dao is on the verge of extinction?"
Lin Xuanyan remained calm on the surface, but within him, a turbulent storm was brewing. How could the world's foremost Dao, which he had single-handedly founded and promoted five hundred years ago, be linked to destruction? What had happened in those five hundred years?
Pei Yuehan continued, "The Han Palace is one of the last remaining Sword Sects of the Xuanyuan Dynasty. It was once the leader of the six major sects, but that was a long time ago. Now, not only is the orthodox Xuanyuan Dynasty desperately suppressing the Sword Sect, but the palace on the floating island has even directly labeled it a heretical sect. Although the Transformation Realm is already powerful, if it truly confronts those people, it will be destroyed in a matter of seconds."
Lin Xuanyan asked, "How could this be?"
Pei Yuhan hesitated, finally saying quietly, "Things are too complicated to explain to you. Anyway,
Our sect is in dire straits now. Our title as one of the six great sects is long gone in name only. Ten years ago, we had several hundred members, but now only you three remain."
Lin Xuanyan said, "I won't leave."
Pei Yuhan gave him a deep look.
Lin Xuanyan shook his head and said, "It has nothing to do with what I saw tonight."
Pei Yuhan suddenly said seriously, "In fact, it doesn't matter what others do. No matter how the sword path declines,
I will always keep this flame alive."
"Why?"
Pei Yuhan donned the black and white robe, fastening the belt that accentuated her slender figure. "Because this is the path my master left me. I must pass it on, no matter what."
Lin Xuanyan opened his mouth, suddenly feeling a surge of guilt. The once lovely girl had grown into a cold and aloof swordsman. He was relieved, but more than anything, he felt a sense of discomfort. "Your master would probably rather you abandon the sword path than be like this."
Pei Yuehan smiled bitterly. "What your master thinks is irrelevant. I'm his only disciple, and protecting his path is the meaning of my existence."
"What if your master's path is wrong?"
Pei Yuehan replied sternly, "His right or wrong has nothing to do with my insistence."
Lin Xuanyan nodded, satisfied with the answer. Then, he asked a question that had been puzzling him: "You told me last time that your master would be out of seclusion in twenty years. Why do those people still dare to so arrogantly suppress the sword path?"
Pei Yuhan's beautiful face frowned slightly. After a moment of contemplation, she shook her head. "The suppression of the sword path is the work of those on the floating island. They seem to have received some information that could prevent or even sabotage my master's return from seclusion. No one knows the specifics."
Lin Xuanyan nodded, thinking, "So that's how it is. Then the ones suppressing the sword path are naturally..."
He was about to ask more when Pei Yuhan interrupted him. "Just pretend you didn't see what happened tonight. I won't blame you."
Suddenly remembering something, she asked, "How's the sword path I asked you to practice going? I need to check on your progress."
Lin Xuanyan replied, "I'm rather clumsy and haven't been able to find the right method."
Pei Yuhan sighed, "Practice is a gift from heaven. Reaching the Longevity Bridge would be best. If you can't, don't force it. But you must never give up. If you have any questions about your practice, feel free to ask me at the Biluo Palace." Lin Xuanyan looked at her dark, watery brows, and suddenly felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He replied solemnly, "Yes, Master."
Pei Yuhan's expression froze for a moment, then a smile spread across her face. "What? You're willing to call me Master?"
Lin Xuanyan pursed his lips, suppressing a smile.
Pei Yuhan's smile was fleeting, and she suddenly lowered her long eyelashes, a look of pain on her face. She looked at Lin Xuanyan, her beautiful eyes flickering, and finally whispered, "I'm unworthy of being your teacher."
Lin Xuanyan shook his head and affirmed, "You are the best Master."
Hearing this, Pei Yuhan looked dazed.
She had said the same exact words many, many years ago, but the tall figure who had held her hand then was now somewhere in the world.
Lin Xuanyan suddenly pointed at the letter on the bed and asked, "What was that gift from the Yin-Yang Pavilion?
Why would you pay... so much for it?"
Pei Yuehan explained, "The Xuanyuan Dynasty holds a Dao Trial Conference every five years. Participants are primarily from the six major sects, though some talented individuals from other sects also participate. The rankings from each Dao Trial Conference reflect the rankings of the major sects, so each sect places great importance on this. Our Sword Sect has already ranked last among the six major sects for four consecutive years. According to the rules, if we repeat this, we will be expelled from the Xuanyuan Dynasty." Pei Yuhan pinched the letter between two fingers and said, "I couldn't let the Sword Sect be expelled. So I found Ji Yitian, the head of the Yin-Yang Pavilion. I know he likes me very much, and... he has a bit of a quirk. So..."
Lin Xuanyan continued, "So you gave yourself to him in exchange for this letter that would preserve the Sword Sect's position?"
Pei Yuhan explained, "The head of the Yin-Yang Pavilion is a subsidiary sect of the Fuyu Divine King Palace, so his status in the mortal world is extremely superior. If the Sword Sect still doesn't rank well this time, with Ji Yitian's help, we can still hold on for another five years."
Lin Xuanyan smiled wryly and said, "What about the remaining three five-year periods? How can you wait until your master comes out of seclusion?"
Pei Yuhan said frankly, "I don't know."
Lin Xuanyan asked again, "What do you mean by a good ranking?"
"Top eight."
Lin Xuanyan had been advancing at an unparalleled pace since he began practicing Taoism, so he had no idea about this ranking.
"Is it difficult?"
"Ninth level, Xiaotang third, Zhao Nian fourth. It's already not easy at such a young age. But what level have the most talented young men in the six major sects reached?"
Lin Xuanyan shook his head calmly.
Pei Yuehan said, "Seventh level. The Xuanmen prodigy, Xiao Wang, has already reached the seventh level. There's a huge gap between the sixth and seventh levels, but he's already made it across at such a young age. I wasn't as good as him when I was his age."
Lin Xuanyan thought to himself, how could I possibly be worse than him? You're my first disciple.
The lights flickered in the Biluo Palace. Lin Xuanyan looked at Pei Yuhan's fair skin, slightly exposed at her collar. Suddenly, his mind moved, and his gaze drifted down her dress. The fabric clung tightly to her ample breasts, making them appear full and firm.
She sat on the bed, her dress parted slightly, revealing a hint of her slender thighs. The faint glow of the lights made the slightly curvier figure of this newly experienced young woman even more alluring. Pei Yuhan, observing his unruly gaze,
instinctly tugged at the hem of her dress, covering her exposed thighs. She asked, slightly annoyed, "What are you looking at?"
Lin Xuanyan smiled and said, "Master, you're so beautiful."
Pei Yuhan looked slightly annoyed and was about to reprimand her when Lin Xuanyan said, "My beautiful Master, how about we make a bet?"
Pei Yuhan said angrily, "What bet?"
Lin Xuanyan said, "I'll help you get a rank, in exchange for one thing." He had wanted to say he'd won first place, but he was afraid Pei Yuhan would think he was joking. So he just said
"Win a title," but Pei Yuhan still didn't believe him at all.
Pei Yuhan looked at his obviously frail body and laughed angrily, "Who gives you that confidence?"
Lin Xuanyan said helplessly, "Just answer me whether you'll bet or not."
Pei Yuhan looked into his eyes, trying to find any other expression, but they were too
clear, and she found nothing. Lin Xuanyan met her gaze openly. Finally, Pei Yuhan slowly nodded:
"Okay, I promise."
Lin Xuanyan smiled.
Pei Yuhan's expression suddenly changed: "What if you don't get a place?"
Lin Xuanyan's pupils dilated slightly, and he said in surprise, "I've never thought about that."
There are many very tall mountains in this world. The higher the mountain, the higher the sect's status.
Burning Ash Peak is the second highest peak in the Xuanyuan Dynasty, second only to Chao Duan Peak, the highest peak on earth.
To the east of Burning Ash Peak, vast ocean smoke crashes against the shore day and night, creating a terrifying sound. A great battle once took place here, and the bodies of the dead flowed into the sea, transforming into a lingering evil spirit. Therefore, the crashing sound of the waves sounds like the wails of fallen souls.
A young girl stood gracefully on the cliff, gazing at the waves crashing below, and also at the sea and sky beyond, where the horizon stretched to the limit.
The sky was too high and too far to see its end. The sea was too cold and too deep, and the more she looked, the more frightened she became. She lowered her head, looking at her black cotton skirt, which barely covered her knees. A mountain breeze picked up, gently fluttering the hem of her skirt, which rolled gently against her thighs like a layer of fine waves. Those snow-white calves seemed like the only light in the pitch-black mountains.
A gentle breeze ruffled her hair, rustling her youthful features. Her waist-length hair was lightly tied with a red thread, while a few dark strands cascading over her shoulders were lifted by the evening breeze. Her beautiful face was filled with an incomparable tranquility.
Her hair was incredibly black, pure black, etched into her dress. Her pupils resembled the dark, surging tide beneath the cliffs.
In midsummer, Fenhui Peak was half lead gray, half emerald green, like the yin and yang separating life and death, a striking beauty. But now, in winter, the summit was blanketed in white snow. As night fell and the chill wind blew, the young girl seemed impervious to the cold. She loved to ascend the summit to gaze and contemplate.
But she often felt that the mountain wasn't high enough. Standing low, one couldn't see far.
So she had always wanted to visit the legendary Chaoduan Peak. However, it was sealed by an extremely powerful restriction.
Five hundred people, no one could enter.
The girl standing on the cliff breathed quietly, her thoughts unclear.
Suddenly, a clamor rose from the night. A night raven, always as pitch black as ever, appeared from above the clouds.
The girl looked out into the distance, reaching out her hand to the night sky.
The jackdaw let out a sharp cry, tearing through the night like a knife.
The snow fell heavier, the sea surging faster.
The girl quietly closed her eyes, a smile suddenly spreading across her beautiful face, like a ripple.
After an unknown amount of time, a young scholar with rosy lips and white teeth appeared behind her, standing with an umbrella. The snow
finely spread across the green umbrella. The man whispered, "Young lady, we're returning to the pavilion."
...
One morning in February. From afar, Pei Yuhan saw Lin Xuanyan practicing swordplay in the square. His movements were clumsy, childlike. She sighed unconsciously.
After hearing the young man's "brilliant words" that day, a glimmer of hope had ignited in her heart, but this hope was quickly extinguished by Lin Xuanyan's dismal performance.
Sometimes, she even considered persuading Lin Xuanyan to give up swordsmanship, but the words on her lips turned to some swordsmanship guidance.
Though she considered such guidance dispensable to him, she watched Lin Xuanyan pretentiously practicing swordsmanship,
and what else could she do but be angry at his lack of ambition?
Gradually, she began to let Lin Xuanyan go, no longer forcing him to practice daily, instead focusing more on Zhao Nian.
But she still had a faint, inexplicable feeling for Lin Xuanyan. Perhaps it was because he had seen that incident. Although she had long possessed a profound understanding of swordsmanship, she certainly felt some resentment at having her own disciple witness such a thing.
To Pei Yuhan's delight, Zhao Nian's progress was astonishingly rapid. It was as if he had suddenly attained enlightenment. In just a few months, he was already on the verge of entering the fifth realm. If he could successfully reach the fifth realm, then there was a real hope of achieving a high rank for the sect. That way, she wouldn't have to fulfill her promise to Ji Yitian. Without Pei Yuhan's control and constraints, Lin Xuanyan simply gave up the pretense. If it weren't for the need to reassure his beloved disciple, he wouldn't have bothered to waste his life on swordplay.
Similarly, Yu Xiaotang disliked swordplay. Zhao Nian was quiet, so he was constantly bored.
Yu Xiaotang loved to hang out with Lin Xuanyan. Unfortunately, Lin Xuanyan wasn't talkative either, but Yu Xiaotang always thought he was handsome, so he continued to visit. After a while, they gradually began to chat.
Lin Xuanyan, as usual, spread out his introductory swordplay guide on the table, his eyes closed in deep thought. Yu Xiaotang suddenly pushed the door open. Lin Xuanyan opened her eyes. She had already scurried over to the table.
She looked at the book, half-opened, with a look of disdain. "It's such a shabby book, and you haven't finished it in such a long time? Humph, if we weren't completely alone now, I would have had Master expel you long ago."
Lin Xuanyan smiled and said, "Don't underestimate it. It contains great wisdom."
Yu Xiaotang shrugged, "Not really. I don't think so. I see you have absolutely no interest in swordsmanship. You spend your days doing nothing, gluttonous and lazy. You truly betray our Master's painstaking teachings."
Lin Xuanyan feigned surprise and said, "You can see that? I really don't like swordsmanship."
Yu Xiaotang asked, "Then what do you like?"
Lin Xuanyan thought for a moment and said, "I like spring rain, summer thunder, autumn wind, and winter snow..."
Yu Xiaotang quickly interrupted, "Pfft, pfft, pfft! We're swordsmen. Don't be so pedantic and mystifying."
Lin Xuanyan added, "Actually, I do like swords."
"I don't believe you." Yu Xiaotang said without hesitation, "You must have some ulterior motive. Are you an undercover agent from another sect? You look so clueless, but it doesn't seem that way. So, are you..."
Yu Xiaotang's eyes suddenly lit up. "Do you like Master?"
Lin Xuanyan said helplessly, "Why would you think that?"
Yu Xiaotang pouted and said, "That guy, Zhao Nian, is the one. He secretly has a crush on our Master. Otherwise, with his talent, how could he stay in the Sword Sect? Master should know, but she can't do anything about it. She can only indulge him. It's because I, the senior sister, am such a loser." As he spoke, Yu Xiaotang became a little dejected.
Lin Xuanyan reached out and rubbed his head, as if caressing a kitten: "You have great talent, much more than you imagined."
Yu Xiaotang felt a little annoyed by being patted on the head by her junior brother in such a condescending manner. She slapped his hand away, feigning anger and saying, "What do you know? Don't I know my own innate qualities? The fact that I've even crossed the threshold of cultivation is a blessing from eight lifetimes of practice. I don't ask for much further."
Lin Xuanyan said sternly, "Trust me, you can go very far."
Yu Xiaotang curled his lips, suddenly finding his serious expression amusing, and teased him:
"Look at you? I at least know how to practice swordsmanship, but you? You don't even know how to practice on the sword field? Master, seeing this,
at least puts your mind at ease. Oh, you have no idea how hard it's been for Master these years. Oh, Master, such a good person shouldn't be like this. It's all the fault of that damn Master's master. He created this damned sword art, and now he's gone, leaving his descendants to clean up the mess."
Lin Xuanyan asked, "Master... Grandmaster, what did you do was wrong."
Yu Xiaotang nodded, "So what if he was number one in swordsmanship? So what if he was number one in the world? He's not worthy of being Master's master."
"..." Lin Xuanyan suddenly lost his words and asked, "Why has the sword art declined so much? I heard it was so glorious in the past."
Yu Xiaotang propped his chin up in thought, then said, "I think I heard Master mention that someone set a trap for Master's Master. I don't remember the details, but the current rulers of Fuyu Island hate the Sword Sect the most. They're suppressing them in every way, both overtly and covertly, as if they'll never give up. And then, to curry favor with Fuyu Island's forces, our Xuanyuan Dynasty's scoundrel emperor also wanted to destroy the Sword Sect. Although Master is a Great Sword Immortal in the Transformation Realm, there are even Sages above that..."
Lin Xuanyan asked, "Who is the ruler of Fuyu Island?"
Yu Xiaotang scratched his head. "I can't remember, but it seems to be someone named Yin..."
It was him. Lin Xuanyan's expression shifted slightly.
He then asked, "The Xuanyuan Dynasty is the largest dynasty in the secular world, after all. Why would they go so far to curry favor with Fuyu Island?" Yu Xiaotang looked at him in shock and asked, "How out of touch were you before?"
"What's wrong?"
Yu Xiaotang looked at him like he was an idiot. "Don't you know that the Northern Territory, which has always been in chaos, saw the rise of a Demon Lord ten years ago. He not only unified the Northern Territory but also united the forces of the three major demon clans, gathering strength and posing a significant threat to the Xuanyuan Dynasty?"
Lin Xuanyan asked, puzzled. "Demon Lord?"
Yu Xiaotang rolled his eyes. "It's said that Demon Lord was incredibly powerful. The Dynasty sent many experts to the Northern Territory to gather intelligence, but none of them ever returned."
As someone who had been to the Northern Territory before, he naturally knew how chaotic it was. The three major demon clans maintained separate regimes, each vying for supremacy. Battles frequently broke out. The three demon kings were all extremely powerful beings of extremely high realms, and the demon clans' demon hordes were countless. Therefore, even Fuyu was powerless against the Northern Territory. Now, a demon has emerged, unifying the Northern Territory? Who on earth possesses such power?
Even he suddenly felt a strong urge to meet him.
Suddenly, Yu Xiaotang poked him and said, "The Dao Trial Conference is in four months. You really don't want to prepare? At least don't bring shame to the sect."
Lin Xuanyan shook his head and said, "I'm lazy."
Yu Xiaotang slapped him with a chestnut: "You're so lazy."
Lin Xuanyan rubbed his head and smiled, "Actually, I still really like swordsmanship."
"You're lying! You don't practice at all."
"No, if you don't believe me, I'll teach you three sword techniques. I guarantee they'll shock the world. But you can't tell Master about this, okay?"
Unexpectedly, Yu Xiaotang said with disdain, "Who cares?"
Lin Xuanyan asked again, "Are you sure you don't want to learn?"
"..."
A month later.
A book still lay open on the table. It was still open to the same page. Midday sunlight streamed through the bamboo window.
The light filtered through the sparsely woven curtains, casting rows of dark shadows across the pages.
Lin Xuanyan quietly gazed at the words not obscured by the bamboo shadows. In the dappled light, he breathed slowly.
With his eyes closed, the words seemed projected onto his eyelids, magnified infinitely in his vision. He felt as if he were standing before each word, gazing up at words he could barely decipher.
The doors and windows were closed. The silent dust in the room suddenly began to flow.
He held out his fingers and gently stroked the air. The pages before him actually began to turn with his strokes.
The only sound in the silent room was the rustling of pages.
Page after page turned, but the shadows resting on the pages remained motionless, still obscuring many of the words.
He leaned back in a bamboo chair, eyes closed, flipping through a book, appearing incredibly focused, as if he were truly reading.
He quickly finished the book he'd been stuck on for a month. Only when he had finished the last page did he slowly open his eyes, close the book, and stand up to put it on the shelf.
A gust of wind blew into the quiet room, and the door suddenly opened. Lin Xuanyan turned and saw Yu Xiaotang barging in.
A smile crossed his face.
Yu Xiaotang was stunned for a moment. She looked at Lin Xuanyan, feeling something was off, but she couldn't put her finger on it.
She uttered an "oh," then suddenly remembered something important and hurriedly said, "Junior Brother, find someplace to hide."
Lin Xuanyan was stunned: "What's wrong?"
Yu Xiaotang apologized, "Just now, on the sword platform, I couldn't even remember the sword technique you taught me. It's really weird. I tried it several times but couldn't quite get it right. And then I didn't notice Master coming..."
Lin Xuanyan asked angrily, "Did she see your complete sword technique?"
Yu Xiaotang had never seen him so angry. In her impression, her junior brother was always gentle and kind.
She said guiltily, "That shouldn't be the case. She probably only saw a few moves. But Master seemed very angry after seeing it, and asked me who taught me. Master looked very scary at the time, and I just..."
Lin Xuanyan raised his hand high, as if to strike, and Yu Xiaotang instinctively flinched. After a moment, Lin Xuanyan sighed, his hand slowly lowered, and finally touched her head. Yu Xiaotang noticed that he seemed to enjoy patting her head. Just as she was about to ask, she felt Lin Xuanyan's hand froze.
Lin Xuanyan looked over her shoulder and saw a graceful figure in white standing at the doorway against the light. Her long hair flowed, her air was heroic, and her sword energy was piercing.
Lin Xuanyan held his forehead and rubbed his face with his thumb, thinking it was over.
Pei Yuhan stood at the doorway, a longsword strapped to her waist. She angrily shouted, "Lin Xuanyan, get out right here!"
Lin Xuanyan obediently walked out. Pei Yuhan carried his clothes towards Jianping. Yu Xiaotang watched this scene and bit her lip, feeling very sorry for her junior apprentice.
Pei Yuhan dragged him to Jianping. Looking him straight in the face, she asked in a hoarse voice, "Did you teach Xiaotang swordsmanship?"
Lin Xuanyan nodded.
Pei Yuhan stared at him intently. "Then you should know that that sword technique is the evil sword technique."
Lin Xuanyan suddenly felt empty inside. He looked up at the beautiful face, shrouded in the wind and snow, his expression dazed. It seemed like this scene had happened many years ago...
At that time, Yuhan had just passed the sixth level of the sword path. He saw her practicing swordsmanship at Jianping, using that move. The sword move resonated with immense power, known as "Cangshan Holding the Sun." The creator of this sword move was the first leader of the Demon Sect three thousand years ago. Its combat power and killing force were terrifying. Because this move was so incredibly famous, perhaps intentionally by the Demon Sect leader, every swordsman in the world knew how to use it.
This led to the great catastrophe that struck the sword cultivators a thousand years ago. Countless swordsmen became possessed by this move. Afterward, this move was designated one of the Four Forbidden Arts, forbidden to practice.
But even so, some swordsmen could not resist the temptation and persisted in practicing it.
That year, Pei Yuhan secretly practiced this sword technique without his knowledge. Upon being discovered, he severely punished her. He questioned her why she practiced such an unorthodox method, but she bit her lip and remained silent. He, always doting on his disciples, also punished her by forcing her to kneel before his temple and come to him when she could connect with him. Pei Yuhan knelt there until he could no longer bear it and carried her, her legs numb, back inside.
Back then, Pei Yuhan had asked him a question, but he had retorted.
As fate would have it, he now asked the same question back: "There is only one sword in the universe, so why is there a distinction between good and evil?"
A chill wind, mingled with fine snow, lifted her snow-white dress like a gust of wind, revealing her slender, flawless calves.
Her dress clung tighter to her body, and her graceful curves, against the wind and snow, seemed even more powerful.
The scattered snow obscured her features.
After a long moment, Pei Yuhan's breath gradually calmed. The wind and snow gradually subsided.
Lin Xuanyan's question had momentarily overwhelmed her. Memories flooded back like a tide, and she looked at Lin Xuanyan, dazed.
Why did he ask that question? Was it just a coincidence?
After a long pause, she slowly said, "The way of the sword requires a heart. Don't rush for quick success. Your heart is crooked."
He had said these words to her that year.
She pressed Lin Xuanyan's shoulders, her grip tightening as she shouted, "Kneel down."
Lin Xuanyan knelt on his knees, pinned to the ground by her.
It was just like those days.
Pei Yuehan had left a lasting message: "When you've connected, come to Biluo Palace to find me."
"..."
Lin Xuanyan watched the graceful figure walking away in the snow. He knelt on the ground, snow soaking into his knees.
The wind was bitterly cold. His face remained expressionless, his thoughts unclear. Only after Pei Yuehan completely vanished from view did he burst into a rage, "You little girl, you've grown so bold! How dare you treat your master like this? When I regain my strength, I'll beat you to a pulp or write my name upside down."
The wind and snow were speechless, kneeling.
The usually quiet young man on the ground cursed.
Yu Xiaotang walked over to Lin Xuanyan, carrying a carved mahogany lunch box. He pulled out a piece of bread shaped like a little white rabbit and handed it to Lin Xuanyan, "Junior brother, would you like some?"
Lin Xuanyan, resting with his eyes closed, took a look and swallowed, but continued to close his eyes and said, "No."
Yu Xiaotang uttered an "oh" and swapped the lunch box for a little tiger-shaped one. "How about this one?"
Lin Xuanyan said, "No."
Undeterred, Yu Xiaotang swapped it for a little goat-shaped one. "Take one."
Lin Xuanyan glanced at Yu Xiaotang. Snow fell on her shoulders, and the proud girl looked rather
delicate. Lin Xuanyan said helplessly, "Senior sister, I want some quiet time."
Yu Xiaotang asked, surprised, "You like Lu Jiajing too?"
Lu Jiajing was the Palace Master of the Qingmu Palace in the Xuanyuan Dynasty.
Lin Xuanyan stared at Yu Xiaotang's childish face, his eyes wide with shock. He wondered, "You're so young, and you can already speak the same thing?" Lu Jiajing must have really liked him back then.
Yu Xiaotang squatted down, looked at him, and said seriously, "I made this myself. This is the first time in my life I've made food for a boy."
Lin Xuanyan looked at the lifelike goat-shaped pastry and exclaimed in admiration, "That's really good."
Thinking for a moment, Lin Xuanyan took the pastry. Suddenly, a thought struck him. He pulled Yu Xiaotang to his side and whispered, "Although that girl... Master forbids you to practice, trust me, practice this sword well. Junior Brother won't lie to you."
After saying this, he finally felt relieved. He looked at the pastry and was about to put it in his mouth when he suddenly saw a white figure standing like a ghost in the snowy night.
Yu Xiaotang was so frightened that he crouched down behind Lin Xuanyan. Lin Xuanyan quickly picked up the still-warm pastry and calmly said to the graceful figure swaying in the snow, "This is the pastry Xiaotang lovingly prepared for Master."
Pei Yuehan, who had appeared before him out of nowhere, looked at the pastry, took a deep breath, and said, "No need to kneel. Follow me."
Lin Xuanyan looked at her serious expression and chuckled to himself. Sure enough, just like himself back then, she was so easily softened.
He stood up and brushed the soaked snow off his knees, feeling a slight numbness in his legs.
He felt resentful. After all, he had carried her back home. Couldn't you have held her for a moment?
Yu Xiaotang looked at him and asked, "Can you still walk?"
Lin Xuanyan retorted, "Will you hold me if I can't walk?" Yu Xiaotang thought it over carefully, then, weighing the pros and cons, she refused, "No, no, you're a boy."
Lin Xuanyan rolled his eyes and trudged towards the Biluo Palace.