Chapter 32

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Chapter 32: Title

"What madness have you been up to?" Shen Huaiwen massaged her temples. Their Master had specifically ordered her and Ye Xiao to monitor their junior sister, yet they kept sending the girl here daily. Were they trying to destroy their credibility?

Though Xia Shi’s body temperature normalized, her limbs remained weak. Slumped in a wicker chair, she mentally reviewed her recent activities.

Same routine as always. Except…

"Sword practice at the Star Viewing Platform."

Shen Huaiwen’s face tightened. She seized Xia Shi’s wrist.

The senior sister’s spiritual power flowed gently through Xia Shi’s veins.

Meridians intact. Only the spiritual energy leakage accelerated.

Releasing the grip, Shen Huaiwen pondered. Master’s protective consciousness should’ve neutralized external cold influences.

"Did you consume anything unusual?" she pressed.

Though Xia Shi abstained from mortal food, her recent visit to Chengxian Restaurant warranted caution.

"Ziyan lotus seeds!"

Xia Shi blurted. Those two seeds were her only intake.

"From Cang Mountain’s frigid springs?" Shen Huaiwen’s chest constricted. She shut her eyes, voice strained. "You’d swallow poison if it glittered."

The cold substance had reignited the four-hundred-year-contained toxicity, now spreading unchecked.

"You’ll remain in Autumn Forest. Wentiang Peak is forbidden." Shen Huaiwen’s tone held forced calm.

Xia Shi stayed silent, sensing her senior sister’s simmering anger.

The cold poison emerged after leaving Lingyang Secret Realm—undoubtedly triggered by those cursed seeds.

"Understood."

Sword hum interrupted them. Ye Xiao landed, immediately channeling spiritual energy to scan Xia Shi.

Finding no critical damage, he scowled. "What did you do this time?!"

"Ate lotus seeds."

Shen Huaiwen’s icy addendum hung in the air: "Ziyan lotus seeds."

Ye Xiao’s expression darkened. The Ziyan Lotus only grew in Cang Mountain of the Lingyang Secret Realm, and when Xia Shi had returned half-dead last time, she carried no artifacts from the secret realm. Having served as sect leader for nearly a century, Ye Xiao pressed with sharper suspicion: "Where did this come from? Who gave it to you?"

The medicine room’s wooden door creaked open. Wen Zhishu emerged wrapped in an outer garment, her steps slow. She froze at seeing the crowd gathered outside rather than entering.

Ye Xiao shot Shen Huaiwen a questioning glance. The still-irritated elder snapped, "Your precious junior sister’s rescue project."

Xia Shi quickly interjected, "She’s Wen Zhishu from Qingshou’s Wen family."

"Which Wen family?" Ye Xiao’s gaze sharpened. Though multiple Wen clans existed in Qingshou, only one commanded both recognition and wariness.

Anticipating his thoughts, Xia Shi murmured, "Holder of the Book of All Knowledge, chronicler of the Nine Realms."

"So Thirteen Ghost Domains didn’t claim it after all." Ye Xiao’s eyes narrowed. "Rumors prove unreliable."

Suiyin helped the trembling woman forward. Wen Zhishu bowed shakily, "Honored Sect Leader of Sanqing."

Noting her pallor and neck bruises, Ye Xiao waved dismissively. An unseen force steadied her elbows as she straightened.

"Thank you, honored elders," she whispered, turning to her rescuers.

Shen Huaiwen grasped her arm. "You shouldn’t be standing," the healer chided, knowing full well the cruel precision of the girl’s non-fatal but agonizing injuries.

Tears spilled down Wen Zhishu’s cheeks as she collapsed to her knees. "My home’s gone. Deceived and powerless, I beg sanctuary. The Book is yours if-"

"Enough!" Shen Huaiwen tried lifting her. "We don’t want your heirloom. Sanqing protects the persecuted, not plunders them."

Xia Shi added her strength to pull the girl up. "The world believes Thirteen Ghost Domains exterminated your clan," Ye Xiao said, producing a Sanqing disciple’s jade token. "Abandon your surname. Zhishu will suffice."

Accepting the token with trembling hands, Wen Zhishu summoned an ancient jade tome. "This-"

Ye Xiao’s gaze barely grazed the artifact. "Sanqing shelters people, not trades for treasures." Mounting his sword, he hovered above Xia Shi. "Report to Yuxing Hall after tomorrow’s selection trial."

A streak of light flashed across the sky, vanishing along with the figure in an instant.

Xia Shi muttered, "Looking for me again."

Nothing good ever came from that.

"Junior sister."

"Hmm?" Xia Shi answered automatically before looking up to see her other senior sister – that smiling tiger.

Shen Huaiwen beamed with harmless innocence. "Medicine time."

Xia Shi: "……"

Suiyin snorted with laughter nearby, earning herself a withering look from Xia Shi.

In the medicine room, Wen Zhishu lay propped up on the bed while Xia Shi occupied the adjacent armchair. Identical bowls of murky medicine sat beside both women.

Shen Huaiwen mixed herbs nearby. Noticing Suiyin, she paused mid-motion. "Just do your best at tomorrow’s selection trial. First place isn’t necessary – don’t risk serious injury forcing victory."

Suiyin had been silently laughing at Xia Shi’s death-glare toward the medicine bowl when the elder’s words registered. With only four people present and herself as the sole trial participant, the message was unmistakably meant for her.

But why would Elder Huaiwen care? They’d barely exchanged three words before today. Was this simple concern, or something more?

"I’ll be cautious, Elder."

Shen Huaiwen nodded. Good. Watching the girl compete today had uncomfortably mirrored memories of young Xia Wuwei’s reckless dueling style.

Tomorrow’s trial would involve inner disciples, including those who’d breached the barrier between life and death. If Suiyin shared Xia Wuwei’s old win-at-all-costs mentality, this cramped medicine room would soon overflow with casualties.

Noticing Xia Shi’s untouched bowl, Shen Huaiwen’s eyes curved into crescents. "Need help drinking, junior sister?"

Xia Shi shook her head furiously, snatching the bowl. "Too hot earlier!"

Not that she minded the taste.

Shen Huaiwen turned to the other procrastinator. "No hurry, Miss Wen."

Wen Zhishu inclined her head slightly.

"……"

Xia Shi’s hand tightened on her bowl. She downed the bitter liquid in one furious gulp, setting the empty vessel down without a clink.

Defiance, but the petty kind.

Especially with that red-dressed girl poorly hiding giggles nearby.

Xia Shi shot her a frosty look.

The crimson-clad youth approached, date candy pinched between fingers.

"For you."

"Unnecessary." Xia Shi kept her face stern. An elder couldn’t be seen taking sweets after medicine – dignity mattered.

Though Suiyin wore a sour expression, there was an underlying charm to her demeanor. Boldly pressing the honeyed date against the elder’s lips, she watched surprise flicker in the woman’s eyes before morphing into irritation. With quick reflexes, Suiyin popped the treat into the elder’s mouth just as she began to scold.

Having accomplished her mischief, Suiyin darted away.

"The selection trial’s tomorrow – I need rest! Don’t fret Elder, I’ll claim victory for sure!"

The slam of the door severed her cheerful declaration from the outside world.

Xia Shi sat motionless with the date in her mouth, its cloying sweetness overpowering the lingering bitterness.

"Sweet?"

She nearly nodded before catching her senior sister’s mocking glance, promptly spitting it out instead.

"Outrageous!"

The weak protest carried no real anger.

Shen Huaiwen simply smiled and resumed tending her Spiritual Plants.

Back in her courtyard, Suiyin lounged with hands clasped behind her head, humming a melody from memory.

Xia Shi… Xia Wuwei.

To think she’d been deceived this whole time.

The door clicked shut behind her as she entered, silencing the world with an invisible barrier. Suiyin immediately straightened, offering a formal bow to the green-robed woman at the table.

"Aunt Yan."

Yan Ge beckoned. As Suiyin approached, the door sealed itself.

"Why visit now?"

"Passing through when I sensed you nearby." Yan Ge produced a red rope fastened with a pale jade bead, its carved symbols glowing faintly. "This prevents consciousness displacement. No more restraining your cultivation."

"Truly?" Delight lit Suiyin’s face – tomorrow’s trial would be easier without holding back.

"Find your sword and return promptly." Yan Ge’s figure dissolved into mist before the words faded.

Wind whispered through leaves as the barrier lifted.

In Yuxing Hall, Ye Xiao’s eyes snapped open during meditation. His spiritual sense flooded the Sanqing Realm.

Nothing.

The man frowned. Had he imagined it?

A pure wisp of spiritual energy had indeed leaked out, though calling it spiritual energy didn’t feel quite right—it resembled immortal essence more closely.

But this seemed impossible. Since the Nine Realms’ great calamity a millennium ago, all traces of immortals had vanished. Though late-stage Great Ascension experts existed in this era, none had achieved ascension.

Ye Xiao closed his eyes again, dismissing it as momentary confusion.