The sword tassel swayed as Li Yin looked the black-clothed sword cultivator up and down before saying, “…Thank you, Senior, for saving me.”
In this brief moment, Li Yin chose to pretend she didn’t know him.
Now that she had calmed down, that persistent gaze that had been lingering on her had also vanished. Could the person who had been chasing her just now also be…
Had he discovered her identity?
That was what she thought in her heart, but for now, she acted as if it was their first meeting. Li Yin struggled free from his embrace and put some distance between herself and this unfamiliar senior.
The other party noticed her intention and withdrew the hand that had been resting on her shoulder, placing it back on the hilt of his sword.
“No trouble at all.” A mature man’s voice came from beneath the mask, steady and emotionless. He then reminded her, “You’re injured.”
Only after he pointed it out did Li Yin realize that the tree demon’s sap had splashed onto her body, corroding the fabric. Tiny blood beads had oozed out on the back of her hand and her arm.
It wasn’t a serious injury—she hadn’t even noticed it.
This senior before her was truly kind-hearted. His movements were swift as he produced a jade bottle. A medicinal fragrance and spiritual energy wafted out, clearly indicating it was no ordinary item.
Before she could react, his hand steadily scooped out some medicine. He lifted her hand and gently applied it to the wounds. He lowered his head slightly, bending at the waist to tend to her.
The sword cultivator’s fingertips were rough and hot, unlike the smooth coolness of the spiritual medicine.
The warm touches carefully wiped away every blood bead without missing a spot. The wounds healed in an instant, not even leaving a scar.
His caution was genuine, but grabbing her hand to apply medicine without her consent was rather abrupt.
His actions were so sudden that the girl seemed startled and froze for a moment, simply watching him.
While applying the medicine, Yun Jian naturally also probed her bone age.
Compared to his own several hundred years, it was outrageously young.
He had personally witnessed his senior sister scattering her spirit, so he believed she was reincarnated—and her bone age proved it.
The corners of his lips tightened beneath the mask.
This time, he had left Sword Pavilion to refine some magic artifacts in Pill Cauldron Sect territory. There were two types: one for capturing souls and inducing dreams, the other for detecting demonic qi.
He still remembered that dream from when Hidden Sword Mountain was founded, every word his senior sister had said crystal clear in his mind—
What if his senior sister was a demonic cultivator?
【With the prior dream, “Sword Venerable Yun Jian” wants to use a treasure to probe if you are a demonic cultivator. Success rate of evading the probe is at least: 80】
【Would you like to use Directed Random?】
【Countdown: 10】
【9, 8, 7…】
【Directed Random used successfully!】
Li Yin suddenly flung his hand away.
Caught off guard, she had used up an item. It felt like she had shot herself in the foot—her little junior brother was already suspicious of her identity upon meeting.
She withdrew her hand and touched the now-healed back of it, looking at him warily and in confusion. “Senior?”
The young man’s body stiffened almost imperceptibly. The hand she had flung off hung in the air for a moment before he lowered it.
“Sorry, I was abrupt.” He said softly, putting away the medicine.
Fortunately, the girl wasn’t angry. She just said “Forget it” and turned to gaze curiously at his mask.
“Your voice sounds strangely familiar to me, Senior, like someone I know. Do you know me?”
She asked deliberately.
With the item guaranteeing success, he shouldn’t have detected she was a demonic cultivator, but her identity as Little Senior Sister seemed exposed.
Li Yin recalled the golden little sword from not long ago. Was that when he had found out? But why was he wearing a mask and pretending not to know her?
In her bewilderment, she heard the voice from beneath the mask soften a little. “I… perhaps knew you in a previous life.”
A previous life.
Li Yin’s mind stirred. She thought of Elder Fu again.
When they reunited, Elder Fu had also touched her hand. The gestures of these two were almost identical, both showing similar tells.
Suddenly, she vaguely recalled that there was a concept of reincarnation in the Cultivation World.
While hiding from inspections in Pill Cauldron Sect, she had stayed by her master’s side and randomly flipped through some Cultivation World texts, where she seemed to have seen mentions of reincarnation.
Thinking back now, by pretending not to recognize Elder Fu back then, she had accidentally led him to think she was his reincarnated self. Right now, Sword Venerable Yun Jian must think the same.
Just as she pieced it together, the young man before her spoke again. “I didn’t mean to offend. I hope you can forgive me, little friend.”
His hand pressed tightly on the sword hilt at his side, only relaxing abruptly once the girl responded.
“It’s fine. Perhaps we do have some fate, Senior. I didn’t take the earlier matter to heart—don’t overthink it.”
Her tone was light and cheerful. Yun Jian let out a subtle breath of relief.
Reincarnated individuals were rare in these parts, with few records. Though she had no memories from her previous life, she must have been influenced by the reincarnation, retaining some faint familiarity with him.
The sword intent she had used earlier was probably also a talent left from her reincarnation.
With the situation clear, Yun Jian’s gaze shifted slightly to the tear in her clothes. “Little friend, your clothes are torn. If you don’t mind, you can use one of mine for now to cover up.”
Li Yin looked down too. The damage wasn’t severe, but she still agreed.
“Sure.”
The young man then took out a spare outer robe. He was much taller and broader-shouldered than her, so the robe hung loosely on her.
He held it out with both hands and gently draped it over her shoulders. He could have easily done this with a spell, but instead…
His movements were as gentle as if he were handling a handful of fresh snow, serving her carefully, afraid that any force would scatter it or let it fall to the ground.
The fabric carried a faint, elusive fragrance. He didn’t use incense, but Sword Pavilion’s agarwood had permeated his clothes over years of secluded cultivation and abstinence. One had to get very close to smell it.
Now, that extremely faint agarwood scent threaded silently through, quietly clinging to the girl’s hair, enveloping her cheeks and body.
Little Senior Sister was about to be soaked in his scent.
Li Yin tugged at the loose outer robe and faintly caught the subtle fragrance—elusive, profound, and serene.
Seeing her sniff delicately, he didn’t interrupt. Only after she seemed to have caught his scent without showing dislike or rejection did the young man speak. “There’s a town ahead. We can go there first to rest and regroup.”
Heading forward would bring them closer not only to Myriad Beasts Sect but also toward Hidden Sword Mountain. Neither said anything about it, and they naturally traveled together.
The young man apologized again. “I wasn’t intentionally passing by. I happened to see you in danger and acted on my own. I hope you won’t be angry with me, little friend.”
The girl’s brows curved in a smile. “How could I be angry? You helped me, Senior. Of course I’m grateful.”
“The situation has been turbulent lately with demonic cultivators stirring up trouble. Your cultivation isn’t high, so you especially need to be careful wandering outside. In my opinion, you might as well find a safe place to wait out this storm before coming out to travel again.”
Yun Jian spoke at length in one go. Only after finishing did he realize he had said too much. His palm pressed down on the sword hilt again, worrying she would find him nagging.
Fortunately, the girl accepted his advice. “Thank you for the reminder, Senior.”
Due to their difference in height, when she spoke, she subconsciously turned slightly sideways, tilted her head up to look at him, her rosy lips parting and closing as she uttered pleasant sounds.
Little Senior Sister.
Little Senior Sister…
Yun Jian’s fingertips couldn’t help but rub the sword hilt. “By the way, which sect are you from… and where are you headed now?”
The girl hesitated.
Li Yin fell into thought.
She was debating whether to say she was from Joyous Union Sect.
If she claimed to be from Joyous Union Sect, given her little junior brother’s dull reactions, maybe he would even say “Please lie down, Senior, let me supplement from you.” Then she could smoothly push him down, plant the slave mark, and trick him into thinking it was a Joyous Union Sect technique.
But once she named Joyous Union Sect, if he went to check, he’d know she was lying. Combined with the supplementation technique, it would either point to Joyous Union Sect or Jade Ecstasy Palace—and her demonic cultivator identity would be exposed.
Besides lying about Joyous Union Sect, she could claim to be a rogue cultivator.
Rogue cultivators wandered the seas with no fixed origin—impossible to track down.
As for telling the truth that she was a Myriad Beasts Sect disciple, that was absolutely out of the question.
Sword Venerable Yun Jian had just tried to probe her demonic cultivator identity, so he clearly didn’t accept demonic cultivators.
After some deliberation, her playful side won out.
Li Yin made her choice.
The girl bit her lip carefully. “I… I’m from Joyous Union Sect.”
“This time I left the sect to see the world outside and experience different customs. I plan to head north for training.”
After she spoke, the kind senior beside her suddenly went still.
Joyous Union Sect…
It was actually Joyous Union Sect.
Yun Jian abruptly gripped his sword hilt, steadying his emotions.
Joyous Union Sect’s Kun Yuan territory revered women above all, with customs differing from the outside world.
He had traveled extensively in his early years and naturally knew about Kun Yuan territory’s Dao.
Yin and yang between heaven and earth birthed all life, much like a woman’s body. In the eyes of Kun Yuan territory’s people, women were incarnations of heaven and earth.
Beneath the mask, Yun Jian’s lips pursed slightly.
In contrast to Kun Yuan were those Aristocratic Families, where men took three wives and four concubines, upholding male supremacy. Kun Yuan was the exact opposite.
Both a woman and a cultivator of Joyous Union cultivation method—she could have more than one Dao companion in the future.
Yun Jian unconsciously gripped the sword hilt at his side.
If they married, in Kun Yuan territory, a man even had to help his wife select other men. After all, it was the Joyous Union Dao—he couldn’t hinder his wife’s path to enlightenment.
He had been silent too long, and the girl gave him a puzzled look. The young man snapped back to attention.
“Joyous Union Sect… that’s not bad,” he said.
Joyous Union Sect it was, then.
At least it was safer than becoming a demonic cultivator. Demonic cultivators weren’t tolerated by the Dao Sect, but Joyous Union Sect was fine. As long as Little Senior Sister was well, nothing else mattered.
As for the future…
He gripped the sword hilt tightly.
His cultivation was high enough. As a Tribulation Transcendence Realm Dao Venerable, if Little Senior Sister wanted to cultivate the Joyous Union Dao, one of him would suffice—she shouldn’t need other men.
But what if…
What if Little Senior Sister took a liking to another man?
The kind senior beside her suddenly tensed his aura. The girl was baffled.
After a few breaths, he finally spoke. “What a coincidence. I’m heading north too.”
“So this trip out, it’s not just for sightseeing, right?”
The girl wore a blank expression, seemingly unclear on what he meant.
Good thing the mask hid his face—Yun Jian’s lips were tightly pursed, his eyelashes trembling lightly—before he continued, “Sorry, I thought… I thought you came out this time to seek cultivation.”
What cultivation? Joyous Union Sect naturally cultivated the Joyous Union Dao.
Li Yin paused slightly, then beamed brightly. “You’re not wrong, Senior. I do have some intentions along those lines.”
She listed them deliberately. “On this trip, I’ve met quite a few cultivators. The monks from Brahma Sound Temple are out, but those sound cultivators from Spirit Void Sect, the pill cultivators from Pill Cauldron Sect—they all look pretty good. Azure Profound Sect people seem dashing too, and Medical Poison Valley’s medical and poison cultivators are quite interesting.”
She named a bunch, deliberately skipping the two northern sects: Myriad Beasts Sect and Hidden Sword Mountain.
After waiting a moment with no follow-up from her, Yun Jian couldn’t hold back. “What do you think of Hidden Sword Mountain, little friend?”
The girl looked mildly surprised. “I haven’t been to Hidden Sword Mountain yet. I’m on my way now—I’ll know once I get there and see.”
She suddenly changed tack. “But I heard Hidden Sword Mountain has a Sword Venerable who’s incredibly powerful.”
The kind senior beside her fell silent again, simply rubbing his sword hilt.
After a quiet moment, Li Yin heard him softly acknowledge it.
“Mm.”
Beneath the mask, a flush spread across the young man’s pale jade-like cheeks, from the corners of his eyes to his face.
Peach blossoms in spring, new buds sprouting.
Fortunately, he wore the mask. He repeated her description.
“Incredibly powerful.”
Beside him, the girl’s voice was light and cheerful. “I wonder what that Sword Venerable looks like. You’re wearing a sword too, Senior. Have you seen the Sword Venerable’s true face?”
The kind senior replied, “His appearance is passable… If you saw him in person, you probably wouldn’t dislike him.”
The girl asked again, “What about his figure?”
“His figure… is decent too. Similar to mine.”
The girl turned to glance at this kind senior, sizing up his build. She didn’t seem displeased.
The little cultivator showed a whimsical expression. “If I told that Sword Venerable I wanted him to cultivate the Joyous Union Dao with me, would he accept my invitation? I wonder if the esteemed Sword Venerable would be willing to dual cultivate with me.”
From his side, the kind senior answered swiftly.
“He will.”
“He is willing.”