X
Join our Discord server and get release updates for every novel you follow.
Join the ServerThe next day, inside the Carefree Hall.
“Haaah—why are there so many official documents from your Carefree Sword Sect?”
After hours of relentless work, Hua Yan sprawled ungracefully across the carved cedarwood Eight Immortals table, her face pale and drawn.
The reason such a valuable rosewood table now graced the ordinarily simple Carefree Hall was, of course, Hua Yan’s doing.
Along with it, she had also added two grandmaster chairs with white jade cushions. In her words, if she had to sit on a futon and lean over a small desk to handle official business, she simply couldn’t endure the task.
Now, only one document remained—a request for spirit stones from Myriad Sword Peak.
Yun Xueshang sat gracefully in the other grandmaster chair, gently handing the paper across.
“Oh? Let me see…”
Hearing that it was the last one, Hua Yan’s eyes lit up. She quickly took the document and read softly:
“To Acting Sect Master Yun Xueshang:
Myriad Sword Peak hereby applies for 30,000 high-grade spirit stones and 50,000 supreme-grade spirit stones for the following purposes. Your approval is humbly requested:
To advance the sword cultivation of the disciples within the peak, solidify the sect’s foundation in the Way of the Sword, and showcase the Carefree Sword Sect’s ‘Sword Crown of the World’ prestige, Myriad Sword Peak plans to host a New Year’s Sect Minor Competition next month.
This competition aims to promote practice through combat, allowing disciples to identify shortcomings and improve through sparring, inherit the essence of Myriad Sword Peak’s sword arts, and simultaneously cultivate talent for future participation in the Righteous-Demonic Sword Discourse and exploration of secret realms.
This is a matter crucial to the sect’s long-term development, and also falls within the responsibility of our peak.”
“Sounds legitimate enough, but they’re asking for quite a lot of spirit stones. What do you think?” Hua Yan asked, turning to Yun Xueshang as she read.
“Yan’er, perhaps… you should read on?” Yun Xueshang suggested, her gaze fixed on the rest of the document.
“?” Hua Yan was bewildered, yet continued to read:
“Detailed breakdown of expenditures:
Competition Winner Rewards (approx. 10%): Plans to establish champions, runner-ups, third-place, and excellence awards, with spirit stone rewards for encouragement.
Sword Platform Repair and Arrangement (approx. 30%): To display our sect’s carefree yet unconstrained style, requires 3,000 jin of profound iron, 200 jin of volcanic flame crystals, 5,000 jin of five-colored earth…;
Sword Practice Consumables (approx. 50%): Requires purchase of 13,800 low-grade flying swords, 1,000 mid-grade flying swords, 500 Nascent Soul stage flying swords, 100 Soul Transformation stage flying swords, and 10 Void Refinement stage flying swords;
Logistical Supplies (approx. 10%): To prepare hot tea and snacks for Elder Yue Jue, the referee, and to purchase ingredients and warm stoves, ensuring the smooth progress of the competition.”
“This isn’t a minor competition! This is just a thinly veiled excuse to demand spirit stones!”
Hua Yan indignantly tossed the document aside. “Aren’t profound iron and five-colored earth materials for array refining? And all those flying swords—are you competing to see who can destroy swords faster? Rejected!”
“Understood.”
Seeing this, Yun Xueshang nodded slightly, then picked up her brush and wrote “Rejected” on the application.
“Wuwuwu… I thought that with the Sect Master away, I could at least get some spirit stones from little Xueshang. You were so obedient to Auntie Yue when you were little, and you even said you’d marry me when you grew up… Now that you have other women, you no longer care about me…”
No sooner had her voice faded than a captivating figure burst in. The woman wore a black robe woven with gold, topped with a fluffy black fox fur cloak.
Her black-brown hair was loosely tied into a bun, and the crimson gold and kingfisher feather earrings at her ears swayed gently with her movements.
In her hand, she held a slender pipe, exuding an air of nobility and allure. The moment she entered, she swooped towards Yun Xueshang.
Hua Yan’s eyes instantly widened.
“Elder Yue, please compose yourself.”
Yun Xueshang steadied her with both hands, her expression serious. “Your application is indeed not compliant. To my knowledge, this is not for a sect minor competition, but for your sword array cultivation. I regret that I cannot approve it.”
“Furthermore, I do not recall ever saying I would marry you when I was a child.”
“Oh, you must be mistaken then.” Elder Yue Jue waved a hand, completely unfazed by being called out.
“And what do you mean, ‘for my cultivation’? Didn’t I also apply for many low-grade flying swords and materials? Those are all for the adorable disciples on the peak!
How can Qianqian and the others manage their daily needs without spending spirit stones? Little Xueshang, you can’t treat your elder like this!”
Elder Yue Jue placed a slender finger to her vermillion lips, biting a corner, her eyes brimming with a pitiful charm.
Unfortunately, the forthright junior before her remained utterly unmoved, merely shaking her head.
“Then I’ll change the reason. Surely applying for cultivation funds is acceptable?” Elder Yue Jue’s eyes darted, and she blinked, speaking again.
“It is still too much. Moreover, Elder Yue, Myriad Sword Peak has a fixed annual cultivation budget. I cannot allocate additional funds to you.”
Yun Xueshang continued to shake her head.
“Darn it! I knew the Sect Master deliberately left without telling us in advance to prevent us from doing this, so she could hand the position of Acting Sect Master to you or that cold woman Ji Ling during the morning assembly!”
Elder Yue Jue pulled out an embroidered handkerchief from somewhere, bit it between her teeth, and stomped her foot.
“Ji Ling is one thing, but even little Xueshang, you’ve become so heartless. It truly wounds me!”
“I say, Elder, what exactly are you doing? If you’re just making a fuss to demand spirit stones, our Xueshang has already made it very clear that your request is unreasonable. Stop pestering us!”
Hua Yan, who had long since lost her patience, stood with her hands on her hips, looking utterly displeased at Elder Yue Jue.
‘This woman… where did she even come from? She comes in and immediately starts acting spoiled and throwing tantrums at Xueshang. She doesn’t act like an elder at all!’
Hua Yan stared at the alluring and mature woman, her heart growing increasingly vexed.
‘Xueshang clearly rejected her…’
‘And yet… I haven’t even acted spoiled towards Xueshang like that yet…’
“Oh? ‘Our Xueshang’?”
Elder Yue Jue immediately turned, her gaze falling on Hua Yan, a glint of playful amusement in her eyes.
“Oh my, I didn’t expect little Xueshang’s Dao companion to be so cool! I recall that at the morning assembly a few days ago, she protected you so fiercely, not letting us elders inquire further.”
With that, she winked at Hua Yan, her tone ambiguous. “Little Yan’er, keep up the good work. I’m rooting for you~~”
Having spoken, she turned and gracefully departed, swaying with each step, exuding captivating charm.
“Honestly… are all the elders of your Carefree Sword Sect like this?”
Seeing her walk away, Hua Yan put her hands on her hips and asked Yun Xueshang, annoyed.
“…After all, our sect is named ‘Carefree,’ so the dispositions of our elders and disciples are generally more relaxed and casual,” Yun Xueshang paused, explaining. “That was Daoist Lin’s master, Elder Yue Jue, the Peak Master of Myriad Sword Peak.”
“Oh…” Hua Yan responded, crossing her arms and turning her face away.
A moment of silence fell over the hall.
“You… don’t you have anything to say?” Hua Yan’s awkward voice broke the quiet once more.
“Hmm…” Yun Xueshang gazed at her subtly averted, delicate profile, pondering for a moment. “It’s getting late. Shouldn’t we go back and make dinner for Rongrong?”
“Aiya! That’s not what I meant!”
Hua Yan stamped her foot, her cheeks flushing as she looked at the bewildered young woman before her.
“I mean… it’s just…”
Under Yun Xueshang’s probing gaze, her voice grew softer and softer, while her face became increasingly hot.
“Do you… do you have any other relationship with her…?”
Her voice was tinged with a sourness she herself hadn’t noticed.
“We are merely ordinary senior and junior, nothing more.” Yun Xueshang, though somewhat puzzled, honestly shook her head. “Elder Yue always behaves that way with everyone, Yan’er. Don’t take her jokes seriously.”
She paused, then added softly, “We are just elder and junior; there is no affection between us.”
“Cough, cough… Who, who asked if you liked her? I don’t care about that…” Hua Yan quickly cleared her throat, raising her head, still feigning indifference, but the corners of her lips couldn’t help but curve slightly upwards.
‘Heh, I knew Yun Xueshang wouldn’t be smitten by such a shameless woman who looks like a fox…’
“Cough cough…”
She cleared her throat again, then extended a blushing hand towards Yun Xueshang.
“Let’s, let’s go! Since you said it’s getting late, we should go back and make dinner for Rongrong… Don’t let her wait too long.”
“Mm.” Seeing her mood improve, Yun Xueshang’s lips curved into a slight smile, and she nodded with amusement.
***
That night.
A thousand li south of the Carefree Sword Sect, within a dilapidated small temple.
The lamplight was dim, and two figures sat opposite each other at a broken stone table.
“Now that Ye Qingyuan has left the sect… shouldn’t you cooperate with us and make some arrangements?”
A shadowy figure cloaked in black spoke first, their voice clear but tinged with a chilling coldness.
“Your Acting Sect Master—she ruined our plans in Great Chu a few days ago, and now she temporarily holds the position of Sect Master, surpassing you. You must… find her quite an eyesore, wouldn’t you agree?”
On the other side of the stone table sat a woman in a black robe. The flickering lamplight illuminated her expressionless face.
If Hua Yan and Yun Xueshang were here, they would undoubtedly recognize that face.
“What… do you need me to do?” Ji Ling slowly opened her mouth, her gaze lifting, her tone calm and unwavering.
Loving this chapter? You'll be hooked on Moon and Back! Click to explore more!
Read : Moon and Back
If You Notice any translation issues or inconsistency in names, genders, or POV etc? Let us know here in the comments or on our Discord server, and we’ll fix it in current and future chapters. Thanks for helping us to improve! 🙂