"Cedric, for all your boasting," Juliana Valehart sneered, her fair face alight with disdain, "you are nothing more than a painted pillow—pretty on the outside, hollow within."
Beside her, Selestine Valehart's lips curved into a rare smile, though her tone was biting. "Indeed, senior brother, perhaps it is time you trained in silence rather than bragged aloud."
Cedric Valehart's chest heaved with fury, his hands trembling as he pointed at them both. "You… you dare mock me so?" His voice cracked, blood rushing to his cheeks. He had grown with these cousins since childhood, yet never once had they shown him warmth. And now, before Liam Ardent of all men, their eyes shone only with admiration.
Why him? Cedric thought bitterly. What does this outsider have that I lack?
Liam stood quietly between the two maidens, his expression unreadable. When he finally spoke, his tone was like cold steel.
"Cedric. Leave. I do not wish to kill you today—but push me further, and I will not stay my hand."
The words struck harder than any palm. Cedric's face twisted with humiliation. Rage boiled until it broke his body, and with a strangled cry he spat blood upon the snow. Turning sharply, he flung his sleeve wide and stormed down the path, his figure vanishing into the whitened pines.
System Update
[Cedric Valehart's Hostility +50 → Current: 90 (Bitter Enemy)]
Juliana slipped closer to Liam's side, her eyes warm with gratitude. "Sir Ardent, my cousin is not worth your concern. But Selestine here—she has been struggling with her Orchid Acupoint Hand. Perhaps you might lend her your guidance?"
Selestine, usually composed, surprised him by grasping his arm gently. "Indeed, Lord Ardent… would you watch my form? I would value your insight."
Liam's brows lifted. Orchid Acupoint Hand…? The System pulsed at once.
System Scan
[Detected Technique: Orchid Acupoint Hand]
[Origin: Legacy of Lady Huang of Peach Blossom Isle]
[Lineage: Selestine Valehart, descendant of Wu Xiuwen, disciple of the Great Hero Gareth Longbow (Guo Jing) and Lady Huang]
Liam's mind flickered. So Selestine's heritage traced back to the Peach Blossom legacy of Huang Rong. While the technique lacked the renown of the Sunpierce Divine Finger, it carried its own elegance—subtle, deceptive, a spider's thread of death woven with beauty.
Before he could respond, Juliana's eyes flashed, a storm of jealousy brewing. "Selestine, enough. Do not pester him. If you crave instruction, go to your dear Cedric. As for Lord Ardent, he comes with me, to my house—where I shall treat him as our most honored guest."
Selestine turned sharply, her dark eyes narrowing. "Jealous already, sister? Then show him your famed Sunpierce Finger—unless you fear it will falter against my Orchid Hand."
Without waiting, she moved. Her fingers, poised like the petals of a delicate orchid, darted in graceful arcs, elegant yet sharp enough to cripple.
Juliana's lips curled. "Hmph. I was waiting for this."
Her own hand shot forth, index finger glowing faintly as she struck toward Selestine's wrist. "Let us see which art outshines—the Orchid's touch or the Sunpierce blaze!"
The two maidens clashed, beauty and fury entwined. Fingers traced lightning arcs, air cracked under pressure. Though neither unleashed full strength, the hostility was palpable, fueled less by rivalry of sects and more by the presence of the man standing between them.
Liam let them exchange three strokes before his patience thinned. With a simple flick of his sleeve, his qi surged outward, a soft gale that pressed them apart as though children sparring in a courtyard.
"Enough." His voice carried no anger, only quiet command. "Both of you are worthy of the Snow Peaks title. To fight like jealous children demeans you."
The rebuke was gentle, yet it sank into them like a stone dropped in still water. Juliana pouted slightly, her cheeks flushed. "Then tell us, Lord Ardent—which of us is greater?"
Selestine, usually reserved, pressed too. "Yes. Speak truly. Am I not more skilled than she?"
Liam could only sigh inwardly. Two blossoms, each radiant in their own right… and both craving the same light.
Aloud he said, with a faint smile, "In martial talent, you are near equals. To choose would be folly. Juliana, you are as the snow-bloomed plum, proud and dazzling amidst frost. Selestine, you are the ice lotus, serene and luminous in shadowed waters. Both incomparable. Why seek to eclipse the other, when the world is vast enough for twin stars?"
Both maidens flushed at his words, hearts stirred.
System Update
[Juliana Valehart's Affection +5 → Current: 105 (Beyond Measure)]
[Selestine Valehart's Affection +5 → Current: 100 (Sworn Devotion)]
Liam added, more practically, "If you must compete, then bring me your legacies. Juliana, the Sunpierce Finger's scroll. Selestine, the Orchid Acupoint Hand's manuscript. I will judge by the depth of cultivation each has reached. That way, no question remains."
The sisters exchanged a long glare, neither yielding.
Juliana broke first, smiling sweetly yet triumphant. "Then come with me. My house is nearest. I shall present my family's scroll for your eyes." She slipped her arm through Liam's, tugging him gently toward the snow-lit path.
Selestine's lips pressed thin, but she did not let go of Liam's other arm until at last she relented with a huff. "Then I shall fetch my Orchid scroll. Wait for me at Juliana's manor, Lord Ardent. Do not… let her ensnare you."
With that, her sable cloak swirled as she sped across the frozen ridges, vanishing into the whiteness.
Juliana leaned close, her breath warm against Liam's ear. "She will return… but until then, you are mine to host."
Her smile was bright, her eyes brighter still.
And above them, the mountain winds carried faint echoes of drums—ominous, distant, foretelling that Valehart Manor would not long remain a haven of peace.
Glossary – Chapter 34
Juliana Valehart – Heiress of Valehart Manor, wielder of the incomplete Sunpierce Divine Finger, descendant of Zhu Ziliu. One of the famed "Snow Peaks Twin Maidens."
Selestine Valehart – Cousin to Juliana, inheritor of the Orchid Acupoint Hand, tracing lineage to Wu Xiuwen, disciple of Guo Jing and Huang Rong. The second "Snow Peaks Twin Maiden."
Cedric Valehart – Proud disciple of Valehart's second master, consumed by jealousy of Liam. Declared a bitter enemy.
Sunpierce Divine Finger – Legacy of Zhu Ziliu (from HSDS), here reimagined as the Sunpierce Hermit's art. Nine ranks, incomplete, held by the Valehart line.
Orchid Acupoint Hand – Elegant and deadly art passed down from Lady Huang of Peach Blossom Isle. Specialized in pressure-point manipulation.
This story is inspired from various Wuxia novels ,so if you find any similarities please dont mind . and if you think this is boring wait till the Dual cultivation starts ,Thank you .
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