Chapter 4

The chill around Qin Zhiyue’s waist grew increasingly intense, nearly seeping through from the outside and freezing her bones. She shifted uncomfortably, only for her body to tilt sharply as she rolled straight off the Shuangjiang Sword.

A hand suddenly supported her waist, which had almost gone numb. Qin Zhiyue dazedly relied on that support to steady herself, after which the hand immediately withdrew from her waist without the slightest reluctance.

“Senior Sister…” Qin Zhiyue could not help sucking in a cold breath as she stared into the phoenix eyes mere inches away.

“S-Senior Sister…”

Zhong Yunyue looked dazed as she mechanically opened her mouth and called out. She stared incredulously at Xiao Weimian’s hand, an indescribably strange feeling rising in her heart. Had Senior Sister just caught Qin Zhiyue in her arms? What happened to her obsession with cleanliness?

She must have gone blind. She must have been hallucinating. Zhong Yunyue almost unconsciously took a step forward. Only then did she realize that Qin Zhiyue had nearly fallen into the array just now, and her belated guilt made her expression turn slightly unnatural.

After steadying herself, Qin Zhiyue instinctively rested her hand on Xiao Weimian’s arm. Xiao Weimian was still holding Shuangjiang and had not put the sword away.

Silence spread through this part of the Scripture Pavilion, leaving only increasingly panicked breathing.

Zhong Yunyue nervously reached out to grab Qin Zhiyue’s hand. Had this woman gone mad? Did she no longer want that hand?!

But she grasped nothing. Contrary to her expectations, Xiao Weimian did not throw Qin Zhiyue’s hand off. Instead, she supported Qin Zhiyue by the wrist and lifted her over to stand beside the bookshelf.

“Are you all right?” Xiao Weimian asked indifferently. The small red diamond-shaped mark between her brows made her appear even colder and more beautiful.

Qin Zhiyue released her hand and shook her head. The scent of ice and snow surrounded her, and she could not tell whether the coldness came from the Shuangjiang Sword or Xiao Weimian herself.

“Fighting in private violates the sect rules.” Xiao Weimian slowly turned toward Zhong Yunyue. There was no unnecessary emotion in her black eyes, making her appear every bit the perfect and impartial Senior Sister.

“Yunyue acknowledges her mistake.” Zhong Yunyue gritted her teeth and reluctantly lowered her head, though she did not forget to glare resentfully at Qin Zhiyue.

Qin Zhiyue felt terribly wronged. She prepared to leave with Zhong Yunyue. Since Xiao Weimian had come to look for a book, they could not disturb her. But just as Qin Zhiyue turned to leave, that icy voice stopped her.

“Junior Sister Qin, please stay.”

Qin Zhiyue closed her eyes wearily. She truly did not want anything to do with Xiao Weimian. Xiao Weimian had failed to kill her last night and would not attack her in front of so many people today, but being asked to remain alone could not possibly mean anything good.

“Does Senior Sister need something else?” Qin Zhiyue turned around, revealing just the right amount of confusion.

White spiritual energy flew toward the doors, and a restrictive barrier enveloped the Scripture Pavilion.

“Junior Sister Qin, there is no need to be nervous.” Not a trace of Xiao Weimian’s disheveled state inside the cave remained on her pale face. Her tone could even be considered gentle. “I was the one who implicated you during the excursion several days ago. However, the gu poison must be removed, so I will naturally compensate you.”

Feeling somewhat guilty, Qin Zhiyue gave two dry laughs. “Senior Sister is too polite. I would do anything for the sect. But how are we supposed to remove the gu?”

“We require three drops of blood from your heart infused with spiritual energy.” Xiao Weimian’s gaze fell upon Qin Zhiyue’s chest. Her eyes seemed capable of piercing straight read the original at bailiantales.com through her, sending a chill down Qin Zhiyue’s back.

For a moment, Qin Zhiyue even suspected that Xiao Weimian would kill her right there.

“Therefore, before extracting your heart’s blood, I will first help Junior Sister Qin reach Foundation Establishment.” A trace of almost imperceptible regret entered Xiao Weimian’s voice.

Foundation Establishment?

Qin Zhiyue’s face reddened as she said somewhat bashfully, “But I’ve been stuck at the late stage of Qi Refining for over fifty years.”

Qin Zhiyue clearly saw the aloof, unattainable expression on Xiao Weimian’s face crack for an instant. Evidently, she had not expected Qin Zhiyue to be quite this hopeless. An inexplicable sense of delight swept through Qin Zhiyue, though she immediately despised herself for it.

No, Qin Zhiyue, what exactly are you proud of? She was shocked by the glacial pace of your advancement, yet you can still smile?

Xiao Weimian’s rare silence made the atmosphere turn subtle. Qin Zhiyue lowered her eyes and remained perfectly still, but in the end, she could not resist speaking first.

“Senior Sister, what if I never reach Foundation Establishment?” Qin Zhiyue’s voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz.

Xiao Weimian sighed. “If that truly happens, we can only take a bowl of your spiritual blood every month to suppress the child gu temporarily.”

Qin Zhiyue had only just sighed in relief upon hearing that there was a solution when Xiao Weimian continued, a trace of pity entering her voice.

“But this method will damage your spiritual meridians and even shorten your lifespan.”

Her lifespan?

Qin Zhiyue could not help swallowing. A Qi Refining cultivator had a lifespan of three hundred years, and she was currently one hundred and twenty-seven. She asked with difficulty, “How much would it shorten it?”

“Less than one-tenth would remain.” Xiao Weimian considered it briefly, little emotion showing on her beautiful face. “Approximately a little more than ten years.”

A little more than ten years was merely the blink of an eye in the cultivation world. It truly amounted to almost nothing.

“Is there really no other way to remove it?” Qin Zhiyue’s thoughts were in disarray as she began wondering why she had included this plot in the novel in the first place.

Oh, right. The cannon fodder had been killed by a single sword thrust at the time, which had directly resolved the love gu as well. Once the cultivator carrying the mother gu died, the child gu would naturally die with her.

Damn it. Qin Zhiyue was overwhelmed by regret. Had she known it would be this troublesome, she would have chosen the child gu no matter what. Perhaps Xiao Weimian would have been willing to give her three drops of heart’s blood?

Fine. She did not regret it at all!

Who was Xiao Weimian? If the gu genuinely affected her cultivation, she would undoubtedly kill Qin Zhiyue with a single sword strike. How could she possibly pretend to be cordial with her as she was doing now?

Besides, Xiao Weimian had probably come to find her only because yesterday’s attack had failed and she wanted to test her.

After all, for a perfectionist like Xiao Weimian, who could not tolerate the slightest mistake, a plan that had failed once would never be attempted the same way again.

The mother gu could influence the child gu, so killing Qin Zhiyue would not be so easy. Moreover, if Xiao Weimian exposed her true strength, ruined her persona as the aloof and unattainable Senior Sister, and subsequently revealed that she cultivated the Heartless Dao, the losses would truly outweigh any gains.

Although Xiao Weimian was gazing coldly at her at that moment, Qin Zhiyue could still sense her murderous intent. Nevertheless, she knew perfectly well that she was currently safe.

“There is another way.” Xiao Weimian’s pale lips moved. When those cold eyes turned toward Qin Zhiyue, they made her heart tremble.

Under Qin Zhiyue’s expectant gaze, Xiao Weimian continued, “The cultivation technique practiced by the Saintess of the Hehuan Sect should be capable of removing this gu.”

Wonderful. This was even less realistic than the previous solution.

Everyone in the cultivation world knew that the current Saintess of the Hehuan Sect’s whereabouts were unpredictable. The last news about her had come from the Rongxin Secret Realm.

Besides, even if they found the Saintess, given the terrible relationship between the First Sword Sect and the Hehuan Sect, it would already be fortunate if she did not attack them while they were vulnerable. Help them?

“I suggest that Junior Sister focus on reaching Foundation Establishment.”

Xiao Weimian spoke with rare sincerity. She genuinely hoped Qin Zhiyue would reach Foundation Establishment as soon as possible. After all, she did not have much patience.

The dim Scripture Pavilion was completely enclosed within the array formed from Xiao Weimian’s spiritual energy. She wore the inner disciple uniform in a snowy shade of white, and the subtle silver patterns along its narrow sleeves and belt represented her status as the chief disciple.

Under normal circumstances, forget speaking with Xiao Weimian—even an opportunity to stand within three meters of her would have been ​bailiantales.com​difficult for Qin Zhiyue to encounter.

Qin Zhiyue made herself look deeply troubled. Her dress was still somewhat wrinkled, and she clutched its hem, her face filled entirely with helplessness and panic. Biting her lip, she stared intently at Xiao Weimian, seemingly hoping she could offer a better solution.

After considering it for a moment, Xiao Weimian unexpectedly stepped forward twice. She comforted Qin Zhiyue in an icy voice, “Junior Sister Qin, there is no need to worry. I also bear some responsibility for the matter of the love gu. If Junior Sister is willing, you may come to Ningxue Peak to see me after your evening lessons each day.”

“Really?” Qin Zhiyue’s voice suddenly rose sharply, sounding as though she were overwhelmed by the unexpected favor.

“Then it is settled.” Xiao Weimian pressed two fingers together and circulated her spiritual energy, removing the restrictive array.

Hey, who settled anything with you?

Qin Zhiyue wanted to cry but had no tears. She could only watch helplessly as Xiao Weimian swiped her inner disciple jade token at the entrance restriction and disappeared from sight.

By the time Qin Zhiyue recovered her senses, Xiao Weimian had already teleported her outside the Scripture Pavilion. She was also holding a spring-green jade pendant with a pale purple tassel. Lowering her eyes, she ultimately placed it inside her mustard-seed space before turning to leave.

“Ah!”

“Holy shit, you scared me to death!” The corners of Qin Zhiyue’s lips twitched.

Radiating a black aura, Zhong Yunyue stared resentfully at Qin Zhiyue like a ghost that refused to leave her alone.

“Does Senior Sister Zhong need something else?” Qin Zhiyue asked through gritted teeth.

“How could that happen? How is that possible?” Zhong Yunyue looked utterly distraught. “How could Senior Sister…”

Qin Zhiyue felt a massive headache coming on. Zhong Yunyue had worn this same familiar expression when that elder praised Qin Zhiyue last time. However, this time, rather than looking heartbroken or jealous, she looked as though her idol’s spotless image had collapsed.

It was not difficult to guess what Zhong Yunyue could not stop brooding over. Xiao Weimian had merely caught Qin Zhiyue in her arms. Was it really so strange for a sect’s Senior Sister to help her junior sister?

It would not have been strange for an ordinary person, but it was extremely abnormal for Xiao Weimian.

Qin Zhiyue was actually somewhat surprised herself. Others did not know the truth, but she knew that Xiao Weimian did not dislike other people because of an obsession with cleanliness. After she began cultivating the Heartless Dao, the spiritual energy within her circulated constantly and naturally rejected contact with others, primarily because she did not want it to come into contact with another person’s spiritual energy.

Simply put, it could be considered a cultivation-related obsession with cleanliness. More importantly, Xiao Weimian did not want anyone to notice that something was unusual about her spiritual energy. It was not because she experienced a physical aversion to bodily contact.

As for why that habit did not apply to Qin Zhiyue, she could not explain it either. Perhaps she did not interfere with the circulation of Xiao Weimian’s spiritual energy? Nevertheless, her instincts told her to stay away from Xiao Weimian.

Precisely because Xiao Weimian was a character she had created, Qin Zhiyue understood her even better. The Heartless Dao was considered both a forbidden art and a heretical path in the cultivation world, and not merely because it was difficult to cultivate or caused many cultivators to suffer qi deviation.

Rather, it posed an enormous danger to the cultivation world. One only had to consider the entangled love and hatred between the previous leader of the Sword Sect and the former Saintess of the Hehuan Sect. Xiao Weimian’s eventual successful ascension would come only after an untold number of bloody storms.

In short, nothing good could come from approaching this queen of overachievement. Besides, Qin Zhiyue hated pointless competition more than anything in her life. She was allergic to overachievers.

Foundation Establishment. Ah, Foundation Establishment. Looking utterly dejected, Qin Zhiyue pushed Zhong Yunyue away from where she was clinging to her.

“Qin Zhiyue, what did Senior Sister say after asking you to stay? I heard you accidentally saved Senior Sister when you went out to gather medicinal herbs that day?” Zhong Yunyue stared at her resentfully.

So that was how the story had spread. That made sense. The matter of the love gu was unsuitable for public knowledge. Xiao Weimian must have told Zifei and the others something that caused them to pin this version of events on Qin Zhiyue.

In that case, it appeared that Qin Zhiyue had received the script in which the life-saving benefactor was rewarded, reached Foundation Establishment, and embarked upon a cheat-like path of cultivation.

“She didn’t say anything.” Qin Zhiyue looked completely bewildered.

“You’re lying to me.” Zhong Yunyue narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“Senior Sister Zhong.” Qin Zhiyue sounded helpless. “I’m truly not close to Senior Sister. What could she possibly say to me? She merely encouraged me and expressed her hope that I would reach Foundation Establishment soon.”

Foundation Establishment? Zhong Yunyue was stunned at first, then could no longer restrain herself and burst into laughter.

Qin Zhiyue stopped and stared at her speechlessly.

In this world, whether one could draw qi into the body was the clearest boundary separating mortals from cultivators. Foundation Establishment was another threshold leading into the cultivation world, and countless cultivators were barred from passing through it.

Even those of mediocre aptitude who had witnessed the cultivation world’s splendor were often unwilling to return to the mortal realm, so they would generally become outer disciples.

The First Sword Sect had more outer disciples than anyone could count, and Qin Zhiyue was one of them. Her future had already been determined [read the original at bailiantales.com]on the day her aptitude was tested, but she thought this was… excellent.

Being a happily idle Qi Refining cultivator suited her perfectly.

If word spread that Senior Sister was willing to help an outer disciple reach Foundation Establishment, who knew how many outer disciples would become so envious they could not sleep at night? Yet this extraordinary honor made Qin Zhiyue uncomfortable all over. She was genuinely worried that Xiao Weimian might someday decide to kill her because she was a hopeless case beyond saving.

“Hey, Qin Zhiyue, I’m asking you a question!”

After laughing enough, Zhong Yunyue scrutinized Qin Zhiyue again and mocked, “It isn’t unheard of for outer disciples to reach Foundation Establishment, but with your aptitude… Half of those who place among the top ten in the annual outer disciple competition have already reached Foundation Establishment.”

Qin Zhiyue looked thoughtful. Was this not simply monopolizing talent? Even if a late-blooming talent appeared among the outer disciples, the annual selection would ensure that no one was overlooked. This truly was…

“You don’t genuinely believe you have a chance of entering the inner sect, do you?” Zhong Yunyue’s face distorted slightly as she spared no effort in belittling Qin Zhiyue.

“Quickly, put that away,” Qin Zhiyue urged.

“Put what away?”

“The jealousy in your eyes, Senior Sister Zhong.” Qin Zhiyue innocently spread her hands. “It’s stabbing me. That’s rather hurtful!”

“You!” Zhong Yunyue was so furious that she nearly drew her sword again. But remembering that she had already been punished and sent to the Scripture Pavilion today, she ultimately restrained herself. After glaring fiercely at Qin Zhiyue, she flung her sleeve and departed.

Qin Zhiyue watched her leave and smiled stolen contentfaintly. She had no interest whatsoever in becoming an inner disciple.