Chapter 24: Shadowless Judgment and a Princess’s Ambition

Behind him, strikingly, there was no shadow.

No breeze could be felt, and the birdsong had fallen silent.

Only the soft click of a chess piece echoed through the courtyard.

Suddenly, the black piece in his hand froze mid-air, and he turned his head to gaze at a particular spot in the town.

“Daoist Feng, this…”

Seeing him pause, Second Master Qin assumed Daoist Feng was about to inquire about the game’s situation, and he hastily leaned forward, eager to point out a move on the board.

The Daoist gazed for a long time, his hand suspended in the air, until the person behind him called out repeatedly; only then did he finally let the chess piece click into place.

Second Master Qin’s face lit up with immediate delight upon seeing him place the piece exactly where he had indicated, and he was just about to offer a compliment.

“Silence.”

“But…”

The Daoist murmured, his words so indistinct that no one could clearly understand them.

“‘…I sentence your soul to scatter, leaving your body intact, yet forbidding you from reincarnation… reincarnation… reincarnation…'”

Stopped short by the Daoist’s sharp rebuke and hearing talk of reincarnation, Second Master Qin’s smile froze on his face; forgetting all decorum, he quickly prostrated himself on the ground, not daring to make the slightest movement.

After a long silence, the Daoist finally let out a drawn-out breath, casting a cold glance at the figure prostrate on the ground.

Though it was clearly summer, the atmosphere in the courtyard suddenly grew chilling.

“Your steward has committed a grave error.”

“No, no, no… I wouldn’t dare!”

Second Master Qin hurriedly assented in a low voice, his fingers unconsciously scraping the floor, so oblivious that he didn’t even notice his nails drawing blood.

“Let your cousin take his place.”

“Daoist… Daoist Feng! Please, just one more chance…”

The Daoist shook his head, then opened his mouth and inhaled; the terrified Second Master Qin instantly let out a shriek as he transformed into a wisp of black mist, which vanished into the Daoist’s ears and nose in a flash.

Immediately afterward, he exhaled, and the black mist swirled back, instantly coalescing into the form of a scholar.

The scholar revived, dazedly reaching for his neck, where a distinct ligature mark was visible.

Like Second Master Qin, he, too, cast no shadow beneath him.

The Daoist remained silent, retrieved a white piece from the chess jar, and returned to his original seat, resuming his solitary game as if nothing had happened.

Yet, he himself failed to notice that he was already drenched in a cold sweat.

***

Meanwhile, where he had been gazing.

Qíngyǔ, walking home amidst the fragmented light of the setting sun, sensed a faint, almost imperceptible gaze upon her; she gently shook her head and waved her hand, severing the unseen observer’s line of sight.

This was likely the prying gaze of that Second Master Qin, who proved quite cautious, having evaded her detection twice in a row.

Following the direction of the gaze, she could only discern various townspeople, making it difficult to pinpoint his exact hiding place.

It seemed she would have to find an opportunity to visit the Qin family residence.

The Young Lady, embracing a large pile of fabrics, walked with haste; the shopkeeper hadn’t thought to provide any packaging, which made her appear somewhat clumsy.

“Little Girl! Come open the door for me!”

Having finally reached her doorstep, she extended a foot to kick the already dilapidated main door twice, then called out loudly into the house.

Before her words had fully faded, a pattering sound arose, and a little darling immediately unlatched the door and lunged into her embrace.

“Hey! I’m holding things, don’t!”

“Mama!”

Qíngyǔ frantically tried to drop the fabrics in her hands, but it was too late; she could only swiftly embrace the Little Girl, while a gentle breeze manifested behind her to support their bodies, preventing them from falling to the ground.

“Be careful now.”

The Young Lady, frowning, rose from the wind’s embrace with the Little Girl in her arms; the blue fabric was still somewhat clutched in her hand, but the black and white fabrics lay pitifully discarded to the side.

The Little Girl giggled, her small head, as usual, nuzzling against her mother’s body repeatedly, showing not the slightest hint of remorse.

‘This child…’

Qíngyǔ sighed with emotion, and seeing no one else around, she reached out and summoned two more gentle breezes, which gathered the two fallen pieces of fabric; then, carrying the girl, she stepped inside the door.

“Mama, what are these things for?”

The Little Girl reached out to poke the blue fabric in her hand, taking the opportunity to press her small face close, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Qíngyǔ could even detect the sweet, milky scent emanating from her.

She gently nudged her face away with a hand.

“To make you new clothes.”

“I want a dress!”

“I can’t make a dress.”

Qíngyǔ, her face a mask of exasperation, set the little one down, then used the wind to carry the fabrics into the inner room.

‘She should have known better than to tell her stories of princes and princesses.’

‘The child had been more reserved initially, but ever since she had been given a name, she had begun making outrageous demands daily.’

“But Mama said wearing a dress makes one very pretty!”

“Even so, I can’t make one.”

“Aww…”

‘Leaving aside whether the purchased materials would be sufficient, she genuinely didn’t know how to make clothes.’

‘Truth be told, she had only bought these materials to facilitate artifact refinement, and these were merely base ingredients; in a couple of days, she would need to go out again to search for auxiliary materials.’

‘As for the form of clothing produced through artifact refinement, she truly only knew how to make “Daoist robes.”‘

‘She recalled how, in her previous life, many of her disciples praised her skill, urging her to create and sell mundane clothing; each time, she would simply gloss over the suggestion with a vague excuse.’

‘In the end, those disciples would even commend their master for her detachment from fame and fortune.’

Pondering this, and then looking at the Little Girl beside her, whose face showed disappointment, Qíngyǔ sighed and reached out to ruffle her hair.

“Later, I’ll find a skilled artisan to make one for you.”

“Mama is the best!”

After half a day of playful antics and dinner, it was finally evening before the Little Girl was coaxed to sleep.

Only then did the Young Lady have time to sit by the stone table and contemplate the design of the Daoist robe.

‘It certainly couldn’t be as perfunctory as in her previous life, yet it couldn’t be too flashy, as that wouldn’t align with her aesthetic.’

Picking up the fabrics in her hand, Qíngyǔ found herself in a bit of a predicament.

***

[Hey, tell me, can I beat my mama now?]

[What are you talking about now?]

In the inner room, the Little Girl was once again bothering the Immortal Sword, which had only just managed to get some rest.

[Never mind that, just tell me.]

[Beat her… you can definitely beat her…]

The Immortal Sword grumbled inwardly, ‘Even if you had no cultivation whatsoever, if you said you wanted to fight, your mother would likely pretend to be defeated by you.’

[Really?!]

[Of course that’s… false. You’re only in the early stage of Qi Condensation, and I can’t even fathom what kind of strength your mama truly possesses.]

This was also the truth; Qíngyǔ had always behaved like a mortal, doing things like cooking and washing without using spiritual energy, simply handling everything herself.

Yet, there were times when, unexpectedly, she would unleash astonishing techniques.

[Then I need to train more.]

[You should just get some sleep first. And why are you so fixated on whether you can win or not?]

[As a prince, of course I have to be stronger than a princess!]

The Immortal Sword choked on its own breath at her words, and quickly responded.

[Wait, wait, wait, where did you hear such strange talk now?]

[Mama said that princes and princesses have a relationship where they accompany each other for life, and she and I have that same relationship, so I want to be the prince!]

The Immortal Sword now only wished to slap its past self a few times; why had it, out of nowhere, gone and misled this little one about Dao companions and accompanying each other for life?

[Then why not be the princess?]

[The princess is the one who lies down, you see, and I don’t want to lie down.]

‘Well, she was simply stating her preferences.’

[Sigh… in any case, just keep practicing. There will always be a day when you surpass your mama.]

The Immortal Sword could only continue to hypnotize itself—’Perhaps one day this little fool will finally mature and stop saying such odd things.’

[Mm! You have to teach me well! Yesterday, I practiced the contents of your… scripture in front of Mama, and I finally scared her!]

‘She merely thought you were very clever…’

The Immortal Sword forcefully suppressed its urge to retort, responding with utmost seriousness.

[This sword will naturally do its best to help its master achieve immortality.]