Ruan Mei and Herta had just arrived at Starskiff Haven.
"So this is the Xianzhou Luofu? Isn't there some kind of competition going on here recently—the Luminary Wardance?"
Ruan Mei smiled faintly.
"Herta. Do you wish to participate in the Luminary Wardance?"
Herta crossed her arms, her expression one of utter disdain.
"Ha?! Why would I bother with such childish games?"
"Of course, if that crying and whining brat were to join, I suppose I wouldn't mind stepping in—just a little—to teach her a lesson."
Ruan Mei said nothing. Herta never tired of bringing up how she'd bullied Silver Wolf.
"Wait, Ruan Mei. A borisin? Here?"
In an instant, Ruan Mei's expression turned markedly cold and distant.
They both looked into the distance. A young man had summoned several spirit swords to vanquish a few borisin.
One of his flying swords went astray and fell. Another girl, carrying a greatsword on her back, snatched it away without hesitation, leaving him standing there, utterly dejected.
"That's my sword!"
Thanks to her fragmented memories, Ruan Mei recognized them instantly: Yanqing and Yunli. This was a scene she knew well from the story.
But since she was here now, things would have to change.
Yunli sprinted across the rooftops, speaking to the sword in her grasp.
"It's alright. Your master doesn't know how to cherish—ow!"
Yunli was sent flying several meters. When she came to her senses and opened her eyes, both the sword in her hand and "Old Iron" were gone.
"Yunli, correct?"
Yunli clutched her forehead and looked ahead. There stood a woman in cyan robes, cold as plum blossoms, holding "Old Iron" in the air with but a thought.
Yunli's eyes went wide. She stared at Ruan Mei in utter disbelief.
"You're... so... so cold."
In her experience, aside from her grandfather, no one could levitate "Old Iron" with such ease.
Which meant either this woman was exceptionally skilled in swordsmanship, or her mastery of her Path had reached terrifying heights, forcing the sword itself to submit.
"You?! Who are you! The Swordmaster of the Luofu? No—the Swordmaster should have silver hair."
Hearing those words—"Swordmaster of the Luofu"—Ruan Mei found herself mildly intrigued.
After all, this was someone who sought to slay an Aeon and was called the strongest beneath the Emanators. How many secrets did she hold?
Yunli stretched out her hand, her expression fierce as a cat's.
"I don't care who you are! Give me back Old Iron!"
Ruan Mei hadn't expected that a few casual words would make little Yunli so angry.
"One must retrieve their own sword themselves. I imagine you'd say the same to Yanqing."
Yunli crossed her arms and gave a light snort.
"Hmph! Picking on someone smaller than you—some accomplishment! Give me back Old Iron, and give me thirty years!"
Ruan Mei smiled calmly and replied.
"Don't bully a young lass in poverty?"
"Yes! Exactly that—don't bully a young lass in poverty!!"
Ruan Mei summoned her lute. With a single thought, "Old Iron" was frozen in ice.
"Little Yunli. The moment you touch this sword, I'll return it to you."
Yunli's face lit up with joy. Speed was her forte.
"Really?"
"My word is my bond."
Yunli shut her eyes tightly.
"Then—"
In an instant, before Yunli could even finish her sentence, she lunged forward in a surprise attack.
"Then I'll take you at your word!"
Ruan Mei effortlessly dodged every one of Yunli's strikes.
After more than ten minutes, Yunli realized that no matter how hard she tried, she could only grasp at afterimages of "Old Iron."
The gap between them was insurmountable. Was she not getting her sword back today?
No! She couldn't give up!
Seeing the newfound determination in Yunli's eyes, Ruan Mei's lips curled upward. Interesting. The little one was getting serious. She would be, too.
In an instant, an enchantment of watery mirrors and plum blossoms materialized within a hundred-meter radius. Yunli found herself utterly unable to reach her goal. Tears welled up in her eyes.
"You're a bully!! Who plays like this?! Waaah."
Watching Yunli cry like pear blossoms in the rain, Ruan Mei could only shake her head. Truly, Yunli is still just a child.
"Ah, little Yunli. Next time, don't snatch someone's sword and refuse to return it. Consider this a small lesson."
Ruan Mei picked up Yanqing's fallen sword, set down "Old Iron," and turned to leave. As the cold plum blossom aura faded,
Yunli heard a lingering whisper in her mind.
"Ruan•Mei."
Yunli froze. This bully was the legendary Genius Society member #81?!
Yunli couldn't help but gasp. "Don't bully a young lass in poverty"? Thirty years? She couldn't surpass this woman in three hundred!
"Waaah. I've provoked someone I shouldn't have. Madam Ruan Mei is a friend of the entire Xianzhou Alliance. What do I do? Will my grandfather scold me?"
---
Ruan Mei found the despondent Yanqing and handed him his sword with a mere thought. It hovered before him.
Yanqing brightened and took the sword. He looked up at Ruan Mei, cupping his hands in gratitude.
"Senior! You retrieved my sword for me? May I ask your esteemed name, Senior, and where you reside? This junior will surely prepare gifts and pay you a visit."
Before Yanqing could even process what had happened, Ruan Mei had vanished without a trace.
"Senior?"
Having witnessed everything, Herta clicked her tongue in amazement.
"Ruan Mei. Since when did you become so meddlesome, like those people on the Astral Express?"
Ruan Mei offered no rebuttal. She simply asked calmly.
"Herta. I still haven't decided how to proceed with this date."
Herta feigned composure with a little cough.
"Ahem. I knew you'd be clueless about this too. Don't worry. Leave it to me."
Herta looked around but saw no sign of the Luofu guide Asta had recommended.
"Hey! Great Magus Sage! I'm over here!"
Herta looked down. There stood Bailu, arms crossed, smiling with innocent mischief, her dragon horns unmistakable.
"You're Bailu?"
"Mm! Great Magus Sage, and this must be the Cold Plum Blossom Demon Lord. Follow me! I know the Xianzhou's traditional snacks and dessert shops better than anyone."
Herta frowned. "Great Magus Sage" sounded... odd.
"Why do you call me 'Great Magus Sage' and Ruan Mei 'Cold Plum Blossom Demon Lord'?"
Bailu answered with childish candor.
"There's this magical girl manga online. One of the characters wears a hat just like yours. As for 'Great Sage'—the Grand Diviner next door explained it to me."
"Of course, the opposite of 'Great Sage' is naturally 'Great Demon Lord'."
Herta looked at Ruan Mei, comparing herself. She quickly realized the crucial difference. Suppressing her irritation, she forced a smile.
"Little Bailu. I am Herta, a genius of the Genius Society. I have saved planet Blue nineteen times."
(T/N: I didn't know this before, but the planet Herta's Space Station is orbiting is actually called 'Blue')
"This is the genius Ruan Mei. Music, chess, literature, art, science—past and present—she is erudite in all."
Bailu lowered her head and sighed softly.
"Ah. I've been cooped up in the manor my whole life, so I don't really know the Genius Society."
"But I'll remember your names: Herta and Ruan Mei."