Chapter 24: A Fiery Practice and a Shared Meal

It was barely dawn, yet the white-robed, white-haired maiden was already practicing her sword in the courtyard.

For some unknown reason, however, the blade in her hand was wreathed in flames today, each strike imbued with scorching heat.

In an unguarded moment, a spark flew onto the fallen leaves beneath a tree in the corner of the yard, instantly igniting a small patch of fire.

The white-haired maiden swiftly retracted her sword, condensing spiritual energy at her fingertips. With a gentle flick, she extinguished the flames.

“I say, are you planning to burn us all to death in our sleep?”

Yun Xueshang, having just put out the fire, turned at the sound. She saw the vibrant, red-haired maiden, already fully dressed, standing at the bedroom doorway with her arms crossed, watching her.

“Fellow Daoist Hua.”

She nodded in greeting, then explained:

“Not at all. I am merely practicing a new sword technique.”

“What kind of sword technique requires setting the courtyard ablaze? Are you perhaps switching to fire cultivation?”

Hua Yan raised an eyebrow.

“No, it is a sword control technique. It requires wrapping the sword and oneself in flames, sacrificing oneself to overcome the enemy.”

Yun Xueshang replied with her usual gentle demeanor.

“?”

“Then why didn’t you set yourself on fire too, instead of just the sword?”

Hua Yan stared at her, her face full of confusion, trying to ascertain if she was joking.

“Because I am practicing in the courtyard, it is inconvenient to use aerial maneuvers. So, I first ignited the sword to familiarize myself with the intensity of the flames.”

The white-haired maiden’s gaze was clear, her answer earnest.

“You were actually going to set yourself on fire!”

Hua Yan rolled her eyes and shook her head, deciding it was pointless to discuss such an absurd sword technique with this sword-obsessed dullard.

“Oh, right, Fellow Daoist Hua, since you are here, where is Rongrong?”

“Still asleep. We are taking her to pay respects to Qu Linglong for her apprenticeship later. I got up early to prepare some things, and also—”

She glanced at the sword-obsessed dullard before her,

“—also to supervise you making breakfast, lest she ends up drinking bland, watery soup again this morning.”

“Understood, thank you, Fellow Daoist Hua.”

Yun Xueshang meekly assented, offering her a faint smile. A warmth touched her usually cool eyes, like a spring breeze caressing a frozen lake.

Unbidden, Hua Yan found herself momentarily stunned.

“Ridiculous.”

She spat softly, then turned and swiftly exited the courtyard gate, leaving the sword-practicing maiden alone in the brightening morning light.

***

“Oh, the breakfast tastes surprisingly normal today.”

Hua Xiangrong sat on a small stool, holding a flatbread and exclaiming in wonder. The bread was perfectly round and impeccably shaped—undoubtedly crafted by her mother.

Yet, its taste was remarkably ordinary, filling the little one’s eyes with wide astonishment.

“Hmph, if it weren’t for me, you’d be eating a flatbread with half a jar of salt in it today.”

Hua Yan, holding her own flatbread, took a large, unrefined bite, mumbling indistinctly.

“?”

Hua Xiangrong’s small face instantly filled with surprise:

“Mother, you know how to make flatbreads too? Did you make this in a pill furnace?”

“Who told you I made it? I got up this morning to supervise Yun Xueshang making it. Now hurry up and eat!”

Hua Yan shot her a glare, speaking testily.

Tsk, why did that sound so strange once it left her mouth? It felt as if an inexplicable intimacy had grown between her and Yun Xueshang.

The more she thought about it, the more something felt amiss. She quickly added:

“I was thinking you have your apprenticeship ceremony this morning, and I was afraid you’d get an upset stomach, so I specifically got up to watch her cook—it’s not because I wanted to!”

“But I didn’t even ask…”

Hua Xiangrong murmured softly, clutching her flatbread. She then turned to Yun Xueshang, her eyes sparkling:

“Then, Mother, do you like Mother accompanying you to make flatbreads?”

Such is the innocence of a child’s words; a simple “like” could be uttered so unreservedly.

*Like… making flatbreads together?*

Yun Xueshang, who had been eating her flatbread in small, exceedingly elegant bites, paused slightly. She lowered her gaze and thought seriously.

*Hmm… with Fellow Daoist Hua by my side, the flatbread tastes normal, and everyone can eat happily…*

*So, I suppose I do like it.*

“Yes, I like it.”

The white-haired maiden, having come to a realization, looked up, her eyes curving into crescents as she replied with natural sincerity.

“????”

Hua Yan stared at her in disbelief, a suspicious blush suddenly creeping onto her face.

*No… I know you like me, but, but how could you say it so directly?! And in front of a child, no less!*

“I, I’m finished eating! I’m going to double-check the girl’s apprenticeship gift!”

The red-haired maiden clumsily blurted out the words, clutching her flatbread and rushing out without a backward glance, leaving behind a slightly bewildered Yun Xueshang and a Hua Xiangrong with an “innocently naive” expression.

***

“Fellow Daoist Hua, Fellow Daoist Yun, please come in quickly.”

Hearing the knock, Qu Linglong opened the courtyard gate with a smile, welcoming the family of three inside.

“Fellow Daoist Qu, this is the apprenticeship letter. Please accept it.”

Yun Xueshang handed over an apprenticeship letter, its calligraphy bold and flowing—undoubtedly penned by Hua Yan that very morning.

“And the apprenticeship gift.”

Hua Yan offered the items in her hand. Though called an apprenticeship gift, it contained nothing truly valuable; it was merely a formality. After all, the specifics of this apprenticeship had long been settled among them.

“Good, good.”

Qu Linglong accepted them with a beaming smile.

Next came the simplified apprenticeship ceremony, which consisted of nothing more than four steps: cleansing hands, adjusting attire, offering tea, and paying respects to the ancestors.

Cleansing hands symbolized a pure heart dedicated to learning, while adjusting attire was to compose body and mind, embarking on the path of study with solemnity.

Offering tea and paying respects to the ancestors naturally expressed reverence for the master and the sect.

With these steps completed, the apprenticeship ceremony was concluded.

Once Hua Xiangrong had dutifully completed all the rituals and crisply called out “Master,” Qu Linglong smiled with satisfaction. She then produced a cyan-blue booklet.

“This is the Divination Cultivation Method of my Heavenly Mystery Pavilion—the *Divine Calculus of a Hundred Severances*.”

She blinked and said:

“Although I have not studied its contents, I know a little about it. Its methods often use tortoise shells, divination cylinders, dice, and other objects as mediums for deduction.

Once mastered, one can quickly determine fortune and misfortune from chaotic information, discern opportunities, and even gain a slight advantage in battle. You must comprehend it yourself.”

“Take these accompanying magical artifacts and elixirs as well. These items should be sufficient for you until you reach the Core Formation stage.

Once your cultivation reaches Core Formation, I will prepare subsequent magical artifacts and elixirs for you. Remember, don’t bite off more than you can chew.”

Saying this, she tossed a storage bag to the girl.

“Thank you, Master.”

Hua Xiangrong held both items in her arms, her voice clear.

“En.”

Qu Linglong looked at her well-behaved and intelligent young disciple. As a first-time master, a genuine fondness welled up in her heart.

“Oh, right, Fellow Daoist Hua, Fellow Daoist Yun, regarding the upcoming demon-extermination operation, we should also discuss it.”

She turned her head to look at the disciple’s two mothers.

“We can.” “No problem.”

The two answered in unison—which made Hua Yan cast another glance at Yun Xueshang beside her.

As for the outcome of the discussion, it was largely consistent with what 099 and Hua Xiangrong had deduced: the group decided to head directly to the Grand Chu Imperial City to investigate, to prevent further demonic incidents.

Simultaneously, they would send messages to the various righteous sects, informing them of the suspected demonic activity within Grand Chu.

The series of disturbances caused by the death of the Dragonfall City Lord would be handled by the Grand Chu branch of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, in conjunction with other cultivation organizations, to stabilize the situation and, as much as possible, seal off related information.

“So, I will make a trip to the branch today to arrange the relevant matters. How does that sound?”

“We can.”

“We can.”

This time, Hua Yan deliberately paused, waiting for Yun Xueshang to speak first before she followed with her nod of agreement—successfully avoiding speaking in unison with the other woman.

A triumphant smile unfurled at the corner of her lips.