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Join the ServerWithin the martial arts arena, Du Cheng glanced at Yue Yixuan, offered a reassuring pat on her shoulder, and then soared away. Yue Yixuan, for her part, fixed a profound gaze on Lian Yueying, noting the lingering trepidation in her eyes, before finally descending the mountain.
On the high platform, Zhao Qianqian lay utterly still, tears brimming in her wide, beautiful eyes, her sword-gripping hand trembling ever so slightly.
Lian Yueying descended gently, her gaze falling upon her right hand as she frowned and clenched it into a fist.
‘I distinctly saw her protective golden aura vanish completely moments ago, so why did I still deliver that final blow?’
In the span of a single breath, the myriad events of the preceding day replayed themselves in Lian Yueying’s mind. To her astonishment, she discovered that the gruesome image of a severed head and body evoked not a trace of fear within her.
‘What has become of me?’
Lian Yueying remained in silence for an indeterminate stretch of time, until she suddenly perceived the dissipation of the spiritual energy barrier enclosing the high platform. Noticing the tall and thin disciple and the short and stout one rushing toward them, she then observed Zhao Qianqian already pushing herself upright, though the minor injuries caused her to cough twice.
In truth, Lian Yueying had intended to offer a hand, yet her arm remained stubbornly unextended. She only relinquished the thought when the tall, lean disciple and the short, stout one arrived to assist Zhao Qianqian in rising. Fortunately, Zhao Qianqian’s injuries proved minor; once on her feet, she gently pushed the two aside and returned her sword to its scabbard.
“I concede. To think you still held back during an internal sect competition.”
Though Zhao Qianqian was somewhat remiss in her cultivation and combat practice, she was far from foolish. Having exchanged blows with Lian Yueying, she immediately discerned the use of talismans.
‘It wasn’t a matter of holding back; rather, the rewards for anyone outside the top ten were identical. There was simply no need to exert myself fully if I couldn’t secure a spot among the elite.’
Zhao Qianqian, however, had spoken without any ulterior motive. The two disciples beside her, misunderstanding completely, heard the tall, lean one declare, “Junior Sister Lian’s methods are rather despicable.”
“Indeed, this match cannot be counted.”
Upon hearing this, Lian Yueying turned her gaze to Zhao Qianqian, her subtly furrowed brows clearly conveying her disapproval.
‘No wonder you two have remained mere hangers-on for so long, utterly ineffectual.’
Lian Yueying, disinclined to humor the pair, watched as Zhao Qianqian extended her hand, only for the other to falter with a hint of hesitation.
“Senior Sister isn’t truly going to renege on our agreement, is she?”
“Of course not! It’s merely that…” Zhao Qianqian pondered for a moment, then, with a resolute clench of her jaw, she closed her eyes and pressed the two storage pouches together. She then offered one to Lian Yueying, stating, “There’s only a thousand here; I shall provide the remaining five hundred to you later.”
Lian Yueying accepted the storage pouch, and after verifying the quantity of spirit stones within, she shook her head. “I won’t even debate whether the Harmony Breath Fruit is genuinely worth only fifteen hundred, but you must remit those five hundred to me immediately.”
“Junior Sister Lian, you…”
The tall, lean disciple began to interject once more, only to be silenced by Zhao Qianqian’s furious, red-eyed glare. Turning away, she sighed and asked, “Does Junior Sister truly believe I would renege on my word?”
“Senior Sister, please don’t take offense. I haven’t been in the sect for an extended period, and the individuals I’ve come to know can be counted on a single hand. Should we fail to finalize this transaction clearly in person, and any unforeseen issue arise afterward, I fear others would not credit my account.”
‘In truth, I trust you wouldn’t default on your debt; it’s simply that you possess something which greatly piques my interest.’
Driven by this thought, Lian Yueying offered Zhao Qianqian no opportunity to deliberate, pressing on, “Senior Sister could offer something as collateral. For instance, that silver gleam on your sword—I believe it could be valued at a hundred spirit stones.”
“What? The Three…”
Before she could elaborate, Zhao Qianqian glanced around at her fellow disciples, then drew Lian Yueying aside, lowering her voice to a whisper. “How could the Three-Foot Mirror possibly be worth only a hundred? This is a family heirloom spell, and you must surely be aware of its unique properties. Junior Sister, to exploit my predicament in such a manner is truly excessive.”
‘A family heirloom? I recall her indeed hailing from a prosperous mortal merchant family, but mere earthly wealth shouldn’t suffice to acquire immortal spells. If her words hold true, then it’s highly probable that one of her ancestors was a cultivator.’
“Very well, considering Senior Sister genuinely wouldn’t default on her debt, I’ll concede to two hundred.”
“What?! As collateral for a debt, it should be worth at least a thousand, you must understand…”
“If it truly possesses the marvels Senior Sister claims, then how could it have led to your defeat at my hands?”
Upon hearing this, Zhao Qianqian wished to offer a rebuttal, yet during their spar, Lian Yueying hadn’t even activated her own cultivation methods, employing only common sect spells.
“Perhaps… perhaps my mastery is simply insufficient. This technique should command a price of no less than eight hundred.”
‘You’ve actually conceded your own deficiencies. Hmm, this expression is far superior to the previous one, which was entirely consumed by romantic notions.’
Such subtle shifts were beyond Zhao Qianqian’s current perception, yet they held no bearing on Lian Yueying.
“Three hundred spirit stones. After all, I have no desire to cause Senior Sister any embarrassment. The remaining two hundred can surely be compensated with other items, can they not?”
“Five hundred spirit stones, I…”
“Agreed!”
Having declared her agreement, Lian Yueying beckoned to Zhao Qianqian. Zhao Qianqian froze for a moment, only then comprehending that she had been outmaneuvered in the negotiation. Yet, as a pampered young lady accustomed to privilege, how could she possibly outwit Lian Yueying? Lacking any recourse for negotiation, she could only glare, her teeth clenched, as she grudgingly pressed a jade slip into Lian Yueying’s hand.
‘It’s actually inscribed upon a jade slip! And her expression doesn’t seem feigned… Still, I should verify its contents.’
Lian Yueying examined the ancient jade slip, upon which the three characters “Three-Foot Mirror” were inscribed in an elegant, flowing script. Upon infusing it with spiritual energy, a deluge of information surged into her mind.
‘This is truly a valuable item. I never imagined Zhao Qianqian would possess such a treasure.’
Lian Yueying, not pausing for a detailed read, tucked the jade slip away. Just as she was about to depart, she heard Zhao Qianqian call out to her, prompting her to halt and glance back.
“Junior Sister, please safeguard it well. Once I accumulate five hundred spirit stones, I shall redeem this jade slip.”
‘This clearly holds significant value for her. Should I refuse, I would undoubtedly invite future complications.’
“Very well, I shall await Senior Sister’s auspicious news.”
With those words, Lian Yueying turned to depart, only to find her path obstructed by the two attendants. The tall, lean disciple declared, “Junior Sister Lian, stay your steps. I wish to compete against you. Should I prevail, Junior Sister Lian will return what Junior Sister Zhao has lost.”
“Certainly. If you lose, you will present me with two thousand spirit stones. Oh, and before we begin, you must first demonstrate that you possess such a sum.”
For cultivators in the Qi Refining stage, two thousand spirit stones was an unequivocally substantial sum. Indeed, even among those in the Foundation Establishment stage, few possessed such a fortune.
Such a high-stakes gamble was beyond their means; not only could the two attendants not collectively muster such a sum, but even if they could, their cultivation ranks were comparable to Zhao Qianqian’s, leaving them utterly without confidence in defeating Lian Yueying.
Observing their sudden speechlessness, Lian Yueying skirted around the two, preparing to depart, only to find her path once again obstructed.
‘Will this never end? Truly exasperating.’
Lian Yueying turned her gaze to the newcomer: a rather radiant young man, whose most striking feature was his towering height, nearly six feet tall, making him appear like an impenetrable wall before Lian Yueying. As this individual stepped forward, the surrounding disciples, who had been observing the matches, began to stir with anticipation.
“It’s Senior Brother Ouyang! Now there’s truly a spectacle to behold.”
“Senior Brother Ouyang, who joined the sect five years prior, has already reached the eighth layer of Qi Refining. It is rumored that his foundation is exceptionally solid, having even secured consecutive victories against several ninth-layer cultivators during the sect’s grand competition.”
“That is only natural. I observe Senior Brother Ouyang practicing his spells every morning; our Master holds him in high regard.”
Truth be told, Lian Yueying had felt a fleeting moment of overconfidence. Hearing their remarks, she instantly reverted to her customary caution, offering a polite smile. “Ah, so it’s Senior Brother Ouyang. Might I inquire as to the purpose of your visit?”
“Junior Sister, would you perhaps be willing to engage in a spar with me?”
“You wish to champion another’s cause? I refuse to fight!”
Lian Yueying’s terse refusal shattered Zhao Qianqian’s newly rekindled hope and left Ouyang Xiu momentarily stunned. He once more moved to obstruct Lian Yueying’s path as she prepared to leave.
“What is this? If I decline, is Senior Brother prepared to resort to force?”
“Not so; it’s merely that I am not championing another’s cause…”
He had barely retracted his arm, and before he could complete his sentence, Lian Yueying promptly unleashed the ‘Same Wind Art’ (TL Note: Tóng Fēng Jué, a swift movement spell) and soared away from the martial arts arena with the speed of a gale. She left behind only a seething, teeth-gritting Zhao Qianqian and the two attendants who had been eager to slander Lian Yueying.
Once a safe distance from the martial arts arena, Lian Yueying, observing no pursuit, finally allowed a smile to grace her lovely features.
‘This haul is truly significant. That Three-Foot Mirror ought to be an exceptionally useful spell; if I could inscribe it onto a talisman, it would far surpass the might of the Mountain-Bearing Shield.’
Naturally, this joy was tinged with a subtle sorrow. Lian Yueying understood that talismans were not considered the orthodox path, yet she found herself struggling to relinquish her deep reliance upon them.
‘True talismans are too easy to expose. Foundation Establishment cultivators can discern clues merely by observing… I wonder if she noticed the command talisman.’
Command talismans (TL Note: Lìng Fú, a specialized talisman) were the result of Lian Yueying’s years of consistent practice and accumulated skill with talismans. By leaving a trace of spiritual energy on each individual spirit talisman, maintaining them in a state on the verge of activation and scattered, she could then, when needed, simultaneously activate all of them with a single command talisman entirely composed of spiritual energy.
The drawback of this method was glaringly obvious: the spiritual energy left on the individual talismans was also part of the command talisman itself. If someone discovered these spirit talismans, they wouldn’t even need to destroy them; merely a small amount of spiritual energy could render them all inert.
Habits are not changed overnight. Lian Yueying was currently more concerned with the gains from her excursion, and so she sped along, descending the mountain in less than half an hour.
****
At the foot of Pine Mountain, with the main road connected to the mountain path as a boundary, a bamboo forest lay to the left and a secluded lake to the right. These were the respective locations of Bamboo Hall and Lake Hall. Lian Yueying, familiar with the route, effortlessly navigated through the dense woods to the lakeside. As she gazed upon the clear waters and the small house at the lake’s center, a sense of tranquility washed over her.
The lakeside thatched cottage served as Yue Yixuan’s abode, though she permitted no one to approach it.
Walking along the lakeside, Lian Yueying reached the opposite shore, where a shaded path emerged. On either side of the path grew spring orchids, which, defying the seasons, bloomed regardless of summer’s warmth or winter’s chill.
The path was not long, and Lian Yueying, with light steps, soon reached its end. With no trees to obstruct her view, the landscape immediately opened up.
First to greet her eyes were neatly arranged wooden houses, facing north to south. In front of each house lay a courtyard half its size; this house and courtyard constituted a disciple’s dwelling. A five-foot-wide pathway separated each residence.
Peering through the pathways, one could discern a plaza, the location for disciples’ morning lessons, where the senior brothers and sisters of the hall would guide outer disciples in fundamental training, combining it with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to achieve body-tempering effects.
Passing by each dwelling, Lian Yueying once again marveled at the meticulous arrangement. Observing her fellow disciples coming and going, laughing and chatting, she soon arrived at her own residence.
Earth Character Twenty-Six—this was the residence assigned to Lian Yueying. Here, only Earth Character and Human Character residences existed, belonging to inner and outer disciples respectively. Upon reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, disciples would relocate to the Heaven Character cave dwellings carved into Pine Mountain.
Pushing open the courtyard gate and heading directly for the house, Lian Yueying already felt an aura of relaxation and ease. However, when she pushed open the door, she found Yue Yixuan seated on a meditation cushion, her back to the entrance.
‘Why is she here?’
Though a sense of unease settled within her, Lian Yueying knew she couldn’t escape. She stepped over the threshold, closed the door, and bowed respectfully. “My apologies for keeping Master waiting so long. May I inquire as to why you sought this disciple?”
“Lian Yueying, you must confess truthfully.”
The adventure continues! If you loved this chapter, I’m Just a Cat, So How Did I End Up as Someone’s Wife? is a must-read. Click here to start!
Read : I’m Just a Cat, So How Did I End Up as Someone’s Wife?
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