Chapter 42

Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW

Chapter 42: Title

"You dare—?!" Jiang Ying’s sword moves became wild slashes, more madman than sword cultivator.

"Elder Jiang." Sect Leader Mo Ye spoke up, still annoyed by Ye Xiao’s earlier rebuttal. "Why isn’t Sect Master Jiang Liu leading Canghai’s group?"

Jiang Feng smiled coldly. "Sect Leader Mo forgets—Canghai has two Leaders. Jiang Liu isn’t the only one qualified."

"Oh right," Mo Ye snorted with ambiguous meaning, "I almost forgot—Elder Jiang is the second Leader." He dragged out the word "second" with deliberate emphasis.

Jiang Feng’s gaze turned icy before he suddenly laughed and looked toward the arena without another word.

Receiving no response, Mo Ye stopped his provocation. Below them, Lu Ciyou’s spear thrusts carried fiery aggression, overwhelming Jiang Ying completely.

Since fleeing Sanqing Realm wounded last time, Lu Ciyou had dragged A Li through relentless training, finally breaking through the barrier between life and death recently.

She fought like a cat tormenting its prey before the kill. While Suiyin had sparred to instruct opponents last round, Lu Ciyou now battled solely to humiliate.

Jiang Ying retreated to the arena’s edge, only to get kicked square in the chest by Lu Ciyou and tumble off the platform.

"I told you." Lu Ciyou arched her brow, spitting each syllable: "You. Can’t. Win."

She jumped down before the judge’s announcement, landing directly before Yan Li. Tossing her head back with challenge in her eyes, she warned, "Better hope you don’t draw me later."

Yan Li nodded with polite coldness. Ye Xiao glanced over from the stands, visibly pleased by this attitude.

The young lady swaggered back to Liujin Pavilion’s seating area.

Most remaining matches featured strangers to Suiyin. Disciples from Realm of Canghai kept appearing—and losing. By day’s end, only two of their ten fighters remained.

As a top-ranked sect, Canghai’s strength shouldn’t yield zero victories. Yet Jiang Feng appeared unconcerned, even cheerfully asking Ye Xiao for Kunlun’s new tea leaves.

That evening’s guest quarters buzzed with speculation about Canghai:

"Bringing only new disciples? Sect Master Jiang Liu’s absence is downright rude!"

"Didn’t you hear? Two City Lords from Thirteen Ghost Domains invaded Canghai recently. They say Sect Master Jiang Liu’s elder sister was taken."

"Just rumors! How could Ghost Domains breach a major sect like Canghai?"

Suyin passed these chatterers, pondering. Today’s Canghai disciples seemed weaker than Jiang Xinian and Liu Sheng she’d seen at Lingyang Secret Realm. Why send untested recruits unless something was wrong?

She remembered hearing similar whispers when first arriving in Qingshou with Xia Shi. Had Canghai been compromised even then?

A senior sister carrying books interrupted her thoughts: "Junior Sister Suiyin, Scripture Hall’s closed for the night."

Suiyin: "……"

She hadn’t intended to visit the Scripture Hall. What reason did she have to go there?

…

"Thud."

Something tapped against the window frame. Xia Shi opened her eyes and glanced toward the sound.

A hazy figure showed through the thin window paper.

The person pressed against the window, but since it had been locked from inside, their efforts to open it proved futile.

Xia Shi: "……"

She rose and opened half the window, lowering her gaze.

"What to do?"

Suiyin remained clinging to the window frame. Seeing Xia Shi’s unsmiling face, her own irritation surged. "Delivering something."

She wriggled through the window, deliberately nudging Xia Shi’s shoulder with a huff of displeasure.

Xia Shi: "?"

After securing the window, Xia Shi flicked her fingers. Dim candlelight awakened in the quiet room.

"Master promised not to miss my duel. Did she attend today?"

"My punishment period continues. How could I leave?" Xia Shi returned to the desk where an aged book lay open.

Suiyin ignored the answer and began fabricating shamelessly.

"I lost."

"Couldn’t land a single strike."

"No sword in hand."

Xia Shi: "……"

Had she not witnessed Suiyin instructing Qin An during the match herself, this tale might’ve been believable.

"Master doubts me?" Suiyin leaned over the desk, palms flat on its surface.

"Why doubt? Did you witness otherwise?"

Cool strands of hair cascaded onto Xia Shi’s fingers holding the book page.

Brushing aside the hair obscuring the text, Xia Shi murmured, "You’d never lose, sword or no sword."

She looked up, meeting Suiyin’s gaze.

Her dark eyes remained still as windless waters, unruffled by their proximity.

Suiyin broke eye contact first, retrieving a portrait from her storage ring.

"Pei Jiu’s likeness. The Chengxian Restaurant keeper remembered details."

The tranquil lake’s surface shattered as if struck by stone, ripples spreading endlessly.

Xia Shi closed the book and accepted the portrait. Suiyin glimpsed the cover’s title: "A sword wielder must focus their intent upon the blade."

Sword intent…

Xia Shi had actually researched sword intent for her sake.

All Suiyin’s lingering resentment toward her master evaporated instantly. She bit her lip to suppress a growing smile.

The unfolded portrait revealed a woman holding an umbrella. Her features were unremarkable, the pale face accentuating an overall sickly appearance. The painted figure seemed frail enough to be swept away by a breeze.

"Is this…Pei Jiu?" Suiyin leaned closer.

Xia Shi studied the unfamiliar face without answering. Her recent respite from cold poison episodes and memory-fragment dreams left her without reference to confirm the portrait’s identity.

A tendril of blue light escaped the painting’s scroll unnoticed as Xia Shi stared.

"Master," Suiyin plucked at Xia Shi’s sleeve, "I’ll do your punishment copying tomorrow if you come watch my duel."

"Seven more days of copying sect rules?" Xia Shi retrieved her sleeve with a tug. "Have previous punishments taught you nothing?"

"You assigned extra copies last time just to attend my matches!"

"What’s worth watching? You’d only embarrass yourself." Xia Shi turned away. "Return to your quarters."

Suiyin stood abruptly…then flopped onto Xia Shi’s cushion. "It’s too far without my sword. My legs ache."

Xia Shi stared wordlessly.

"These disciple’s robes are hideous." Suiyin produced the garments from her storage ring. "I refuse to wear them tomorrow."

Fingers flew to her waist sash. Layers of outer clothing pooled around her until only thin underrobes remained.

"Have you lost your mind?" Xia Shi seized the girl’s wrists.

"Can’t compare looks while dressed," Suiyin reasoned, batting her eyes. "The Scripture Hall forbids spiritual power anyway."

Xia Shi whirled around. Darkness swallowed the chamber as she flicked a finger toward the candles.

"Change. Now."

Amused laughter rippled through the blackness. "We’re both women, Master. Why the shyness?"

"Too chatty."

Suiyin changed her clothes in the dark before relighting the candle.

"Master, done changing."

Xia Shi turned and looked up: "…"

The disciple’s robes were… a complete disaster.

"Come here."

Suiyin shuffled over obediently.

Xia Shi adjusted her underclothes, fastened the sash, and smoothed the outer garment into place.

"Can’t even dress properly."

Suiyin spread her arms, allowing the adjustments. "First time wearing these," she said with a grin.

Xia Shi huffed. *Who’s she kidding? She wore these during Lingyang Secret Realm. Not her first time.*

Suiyin caught every flicker of her master’s expression—that mix of wanting to call her out but holding back due to their roles was downright entertaining.

After being dressed, Suiyin spun around.

"See? Doesn’t this look better?"

Xia Shi tossed her a ceramic vial.

"What’s this?"

"Disciple robes use special fabric. Redwater herb juice inside—for dyeing."

Suiyin nodded and dumped the entire vial’s contents onto her clothes.

The pale robes bloomed crimson. The six-petal flower emblems at the cuffs and collar darkened to blood-red, transforming the modest symbols into something bold and sultry.

Xia Shi: "…"

*I wasn’t this brazen even in my prime.*

"If the sect leader asks, you found this dye yourself."

Next day at the grand competition grounds.

"Sanqing Realm’s Suiyin versus Qingyun City’s Xu Wenjie."

Suiyin stepped into the arena, a scarlet blaze against dull stone.

Ye Xiao clenched his jaw in the stands, mentally tallying another strike against Xia Shi. *Only she’d let disciples vandalize uniforms.*

"The rookie who topped Sanqing’s selection trial half-month ago—this her?" Qingyun City’s leader Xuanchen remarked.

Ye Xiao nodded. "The same."

Xuanchen’s lips quirked. "That recklessness… spitting image of *her*."

"Sect Leader Ye—which master claims this junior disciple?"

He wore a smile, yet his words carried hidden barbs.

The addition of Elder Wuwei in Sanqing Realm wasn’t secret. Those seated knew perfectly well who this elder referred to, though none had spoken of it these days.

When Xuanchen voiced this, all eyes turned.

Should the conversation shift to Xia Wuwei, this conference would erupt in drama.

Since the Qinghu Region incident Four Hundred Years Ago, Xuanchen’s sister Xuanhua remained unconscious, while Liujin Pavilion’s young mistress Lu Qingyu had perished.

This debt remained unsettled.

When Ye Xiao kept silent, Xuanchen pressed openly: "I heard she’s under Elder Wuwei’s tutelage. Forgive my ignorance – who exactly is this Elder Wuwei?"