Chapter 48
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Chapter 48: Title
This was a memory from Mu Huaiyun’s past life.
Ye Qingshang reached this conclusion after long reflection.
Everything here unfolded through Mu Huaiyun’s recollections, revealing moments they’d shared and others she’d never known.
It began with their first meeting.
Back then, Mu Huaiyun was the Yunshan Sect’s young master. Gifted since childhood with a formidable inner core, his peers hailed him as the strongest. Years of praise placed him on an untouchable pedestal. Though his position demanded solemnity, no one cared more about his rank than he did.
The Yunshan Sect’s prestige and Mu Huaiyun’s undisputed supremacy let him hold the title of first among his generation—until Ye Qingshang appeared.
As the sole female disciple of Ning Jiwei, the cultivation world’s greatest master, her talent drew all eyes. Soon, whispers shifted from Mu Huaiyun to her, some even claiming she surpassed him.
The proud Mu Huaiyun couldn’t endure this. His pride stung, he became obsessed with challenging her.
In their first clash, though they never met in the Illusionary Battle Arena, Ye Qingshang seized the luminous pearl from Tao Zhi’s jaws. Her fame soared, landing her atop the rankings while Mu Huaiyun fell to second place—a clear defeat.
Unwilling to accept this, Mu Huaiyun sought a rematch after the arena closed, his challenge dripping with provocation. Yet Ye Qingshang refused.
At that time, Ye Qingshang was the same age as Mu Huaiyun. Though peers, she had adopted about thirty to forty percent of Master Ning’s temperament during her apprenticeship. Not only did she lack competitiveness, she especially avoided rivalry with Mu Huaiyun.
Who could bear to mar such beauty? She couldn’t bring herself to harm flowers or break willows.
Yet Mu Huaiyun saw only scorn and contempt. He remembered how Ye Qingshang had bested him in the Illusionary Battle Arena, claiming first place, only to repeatedly refuse a rematch afterward—humiliating him beyond endurance.
Unable to swallow his pride, he pursued her to Qizhou.
Outside Xu Manor, the youth’s starlit eyes gleamed as his robes fluttered. He declared, "Ye Qingshang, since you won’t duel me, let’s wager on the Flame Beast. Whoever subdues the creature first wins. Agreed?"
"Disagreed," Ye Qingshang replied flatly. She dismissed his challenge as impulsive childishness, unworthy of her attention.
Unexpectedly, Mu Huaiyun pressed relentlessly for a resolution. They simultaneously attacked the Flame Beast, spells streaking across the sky as their spiritual powers collided in dazzling bursts.
The outcome: a draw.
Mu Huaiyun, unsatisfied, became fixated on reclaiming his top rank. His overt and covert provocations wearied Ye Qingshang, who grew exasperated at the mere mention of his name.
Later, during the Ten Sects Discussions, Mu Huaiyun finally defeated Ye Qingshang, claiming first place. He secured the Qianyu in the Divine Hall amid public acclaim, believing he’d redeemed himself—until he caught Ye Qingshang’s glare of pure disdain in the crowd.
She cared little for rankings but had long coveted exceptional spiritual weapons like Qianyu. Such artifacts vastly amplified a cultivator’s power, and she deemed only Qianyu worthy of her.
Moreover, she detested whips.
It was the first time Mu Huaiyun witnessed her contempt directed at anyone. Her phoenix eyes blazed, her piercing stare leaving him unsettled.
This discomfort eclipsed any triumph from his victory, lodging stubbornly in his chest. The source of his unease—their unresolved tension—further irritated him, eroding his composure until he cornered her.
“Mu Huaiyun!” Ye Qingshang brandished Moon’s Shadow furiously. “You wanted a duel? Fine! Summon your spiritual weapon—now!”
Her expression deepened his discomfort, extinguishing any desire to spar. He deflected, “The Yunshan Sect isn’t some random arena where you—”
Moon’s Shadow cracked toward him mid-sentence, its fifty-percent spiritual force compelling him to summon Qianyu in defense.
The whip coiled around the sword’s blade, spiritual power sizzling at their clash.
Though equally matched in skill, Ye Qingshang struggled with an unfamiliar weapon while Mu Huaiyun wielded a superior one. Her ferocity couldn’t bridge the gap, and she ultimately lost.
Mu Huaiyun saw disbelief flash across her face before she turned away, a scornful snort widening the rift between them like a severed kite string—irretrievable.
Restlessness churned within him.
After sleepless nights, he sought her residence.
Acting on impulse, he halted steps from her door. Words failed him; anything felt misplaced. Concealing himself with a treasure artifact, he resolved to glimpse her once before leaving.
Instead, he witnessed profound teacher-student rapport.
Master Ning had come discreetly for Ye Qingshang, his presence unknown even to Mu Huaiyun, the young master, until now.
Under nearby eaves, Master Ning’s voice carried: “Qingshang, your displeasure is plain. Does this spiritual weapon displease you?”
“Yes, Master,” she admitted. “You know I favor swords. This whip… I’ve no use for it.”
Master Ning shook his head. “One doesn’t discard spiritual weapons lightly. While Qianyu excels, Moon’s Shadow better harmonizes with your inner core.”
“But Master, whips aren’t my strength—”
He tousled her hair gently. “I will teach you.”
The cultivation world knew Master Ning as stern, yet Mu Huaiyun now observed unprecedented gentleness—met by Ye Qingshang’s habitual, almost unconscious, trust.
The deep bond between the two troubled Mu Huaiyun greatly. His fruitless efforts left him disheartened for days. During Ye Qingshang’s month-long cultivation at Yunshan Sect afterward, he deliberately avoided her.
Had Ye Qingshang not volunteered to join the mission during the Xingzhou unrest upon completing her training, they might never have met again.
