Li Fei looked up at him, still hesitant to recognize him. Over the past three years, she had imagined countless times what Lei Xiuyuan would look like. Surely, he had grown taller and his face had matured. However, all those myriad imaginings shattered the moment he stood before her.
The disciple robes he wore no longer carried the air of being thin and frail; he had grown so much that he was no longer a mere sprout. The impression of the fourteen-year-old Lei Xiuyuan overlapped with the striking young man before her. He resembled him, yet he was different. His long brows framed his handsome face, and his demeanor was graceful. The once pale boy now stood out in the crowd, exquisite like a painting. The arrogance that once filled him had been tempered into a subtle aloofness, still making him seem unapproachable, yet not off-putting.
How would he see her now? Would he find her strange? Did she seem like a different person?
Lei Xiuyuan lowered his gaze to her, his inscrutable eyes making Li Fei feel an unprecedented sense of awkwardness. He neither gaped at her in surprise nor pretended she hadn’t changed. What was he thinking? Was her outfit askew? Was her hairpin crooked? She had flown here without wiping off the sweat from a morning of cultivation; would she appear disheveled?
“Cough, cough.” She cleared her throat, trying to appear more natural.
Suddenly, Lei Xiuyuan raised his hand, his fingers brushing against the crystal bead by her ear.
“Have you turned into a proper lady?” He smiled, his voice, once rough and hoarse due to adolescence, had now deepened into a full, masculine tone.
Li Fei couldn’t help but laugh. “Do I look like one?”
He patted her head lightly, his tone relaxed. “You only look like one.”
Just moments ago, her serious shout had shocked everyone; hadn’t she seen the group of male disciples standing there, stunned and heartbroken, too afraid to approach?
Noticing that he didn’t mention her changed appearance, Li Fei felt a bit anxious and asked, “You… you don’t think I’ve changed a lot?”
“Ah, you’ve become a different person,” Lei Xiuyuan admitted candidly, his tone casual. “I’ll get used to it.”
A wave of emotion surged within her. How many times had she imagined his response? She never expected him to say this. Memories of their youth flashed before her—this awkward yet clever, proud yet resilient boy who knew so much but never asked. The sense of estrangement from three years apart suddenly vanished. She stepped forward and linked her arm through his sleeve, a habit she had once had.
“Then I’ll get used to it too.” She looked up and smiled at him.
As Lei Xiuyuan felt her draw closer, an unfamiliar fragrance enveloped him. The once-familiar face, now adorned with beauty, came near, and he instinctively wanted to step back but abruptly held himself in place. It seemed he needed more time to adjust; he felt uncharacteristically flustered.
“Xiuyuan.” Guangwei Zhenren called out to him from the front of the hall.
Lei Xiuyuan responded, then looked down at Li Fei. “Are you waiting for me?”
Without waiting for her answer, he flew toward the front of the hall and bowed respectfully.
Li Fei couldn’t help but smile. She had come to Yaoguang Peak for him; how could she not wait for him? She walked over slowly, and many male disciples no longer crowded around her. They watched from a distance, most of them aware of her connection with Lei Xiuyuan. Now that he had left the Dan Cave, they naturally wouldn’t cling to her.
Guangwei Zhenren was discussing the trials at Liliang Valley with Lei Xiuyuan when he noticed a young girl standing at a distance, her beauty so striking that it was hard to look directly at her. He was momentarily taken aback—was she a disciple of Yaoguang Peak? Why didn’t he remember her?
As if sensing his gaze, the girl stepped forward and respectfully bowed. “Disciple Jiang Li Fei, greeting Elder Guangwei.”
Jiang Li Fei? Guangwei Zhenren was stunned. Had she looked like this before? To be honest, he couldn’t recall clearly; during his time at the academy, he had focused all his attention on Lei Xiuyuan, hardly noticing Jiang Li Fei’s appearance. She certainly hadn’t looked like this before. Moreover, as he scrutinized her, he realized that although she hadn’t broken through the first bottleneck, her cultivation had already surpassed it and was even approaching the second bottleneck.
He felt quite puzzled. However, since she wasn’t his disciple, he refrained from asking too many questions and simply smiled. “Chongyi has taken on a good disciple. You’re going to Liliang Valley this year, right?”
Li Fei respectfully replied, “Yes.” Guangwei Zhenren looked at her, then at Lei Xiuyuan, and couldn’t help but smile. He remembered that his disciple had come to Wuyue Court for this girl. Unexpectedly, after three years apart, they were still so close.
Not wanting to keep her waiting too long, he hurriedly finished his instructions and was about to leave when Hu Jiaping, who had been standing quietly beside him, suddenly spoke up. “Master, I’ve been in the Dan Cave for three years and have broken through the fourth bottleneck. I’m currently stuck at the fifth. Since I’ve been idle in Wuyue Court, may I return to the academy to teach this year?”
Returning to the academy to teach? Everyone immediately understood his ulterior motive: he wanted to find the girl in the black veil.
Guangwei Zhenren sighed inwardly. Hu Jiaping was one of his most beloved disciples, yet he was entangled with his spirit. He had once been infatuated to the point of suffering, but he was different from others. The more he indulged him, the more diligent he became in his cultivation. A little pressure wouldn’t do; after many years of dealing with this disciple, he had finally grasped this principle.
Reluctantly, he nodded. “Very well, but don’t slack off while teaching at the academy.”
Hu Jiaping’s face immediately lit up with joy, his brows nearly shooting up to the sky. He walked over to Li Fei’s side and, just like five years ago, casually patted her head. Suddenly, he became serious. “Did you… change your head for a new one?”
Lei Xiuyuan couldn’t help but chuckle, while Li Fei was left speechless. Her senior brother was still as inexplicable as ever.
“Senior Brother, you haven’t changed at all in three years,” she shot him a glare.
“Ha ha ha, just a joke,” Hu Jiaping said, in an exceptionally good mood. “Little girl, you’ve grown up. Cultivate well; I’m off now.”
He didn’t linger for even a moment, rushing off to the academy as soon as he emerged from the Dan Cave. After three years apart, he must have been longing for it deeply.
For some reason, the thought of longing stirred something in Li Fei’s heart. She turned to look at Lei Xiuyuan, who happened to be looking down at her. Their eyes met, and he awkwardly averted his gaze. After a moment, as if suddenly annoyed, he tugged at her sleeve. “Let’s go; it’s time to eat. I’m starving.”
It was lunchtime, and the hall was bustling with people. As soon as Li Fei entered, countless male disciples’ gazes immediately fixed on her. Many seemed eager to approach, but when they saw her holding onto a young man’s sleeve, appearing very intimate, their hearts shattered. However, upon realizing that the person she was with was Lei Xiuyuan, the hall fell silent.
After Lei Xiuyuan emerged from the Dan Cave that morning, news of his breakthrough into the second bottleneck had spread throughout Wuyue Court.
He was a true prodigy. The disciples looked at him with envy; wealth, power, and beautiful partners meant little compared to his extraordinary talent and cultivation, which commanded genuine admiration.
At that moment, no one dared to approach. The closeness between Li Fei and Lei Xiuyuan was evident, and if Lei Xiuyuan were just an ordinary elite disciple, it would be one thing. But he was a genius, and no young disciple could overshadow him. The sight of a beauty with a genius left everyone speechless.
Li Fei was entirely focused on Lei Xiuyuan, oblivious to the atmosphere in the hall. Perhaps due to the large number of male disciples at Yaoguang Peak, the food portions were generous. She took two steamed buns and a bowl of vegetarian soup, noticing that Lei Xiuyuan’s table was piled high with various dishes. It seemed he hadn’t eaten well during his three years in the Dan Cave; his first meal out was a ravenous feast.
“What was it like in the Dan Cave?” Li Fei was most curious about this. “How did you cultivate there?”
Though Lei Xiuyuan’s movements were refined, he ate quickly. In just a few bites, his bowl was empty. As he refilled his bowl, he said, “The Dan Cave has nine levels. In these three years, I’ve only reached the third level. The spiritual energy becomes denser the further down you go. I’ve had quite a few battles with Hu Jiaping down there.”
His cultivation was all about fighting. It made sense; with a metal-type spiritual root, his offensive capabilities were exceptional. Aside from fighting, there was no better way to cultivate.
Li Fei watched him with great interest, momentarily forgetting to eat. After three years apart, the boy had changed so much. His hands, gripping the chopsticks, had grown larger, his fingers long and neatly trimmed. She traced her gaze from his hands to his arms, then to his shoulders, finally landing on his face, unable to look away.
Eventually, Lei Xiuyuan could no longer eat calmly under her scrutiny. He sighed, “I’m not full yet. When we have time later, you can look at me slowly.”
Alright… Li Fei found it a bit amusing. She broke her bun into small pieces and took small bites. Suddenly, a surprised voice came from beside her. “Li Fei, Junior Sister! You’re here at Yaoguang Peak today?”
She turned to see several male disciples standing nearby, all sweating profusely as if they had just finished their training. The one who called her was fairly handsome and somewhat familiar, but she couldn’t recall his name. As she pondered, he unexpectedly moved closer and sat beside her, appearing quite intimate. “What are you eating?”
Li Fei’s expression immediately darkened. She didn’t move, merely staring coldly at him. The male disciple felt a chill and quickly stood up, not daring to overstep.
Lei Xiuyuan glanced at him and suddenly smiled. “Songfeng, long time no see.”
Songfeng and the others were taken aback, scrutinizing him closely. They felt that his features resembled that annoying little brat from three years ago. Was this Lei Xiuyuan, the annoying little brat who had grown up?
“You… you came out of the Dan Cave?” Songfeng, having just finished his training, hadn’t heard the news.
Lei Xiuyuan replied, “It’s been years since we last met. You still look the same, but you seem more mature. If I’m not mistaken, this year is your thirtieth birthday, right?”
Songfeng immediately exploded with anger. “I’m only twenty-four this year!”
Lei Xiuyuan smiled apologetically. “Sorry, I must have remembered incorrectly.”
He was doing this on purpose! Was he trying to imply that Songfeng looked old and unworthy of Li Fei? Did he look that old?! Songfeng wanted to explode, but Lei Xiuyuan was no longer the new disciple he could bully. Although his words were sharp, he remained polite. It would be inappropriate for him to lose his temper. He looked helplessly at the other disciples behind him, only to find them all avoiding his gaze.
“Please, sit down, Senior Brothers.” Lei Xiuyuan stood up and nodded slightly to Songfeng and the others. “We’ll take our leave now.”
As they flew halfway up the mountain, Li Fei was still laughing uncontrollably. She had noticed before that Lei Xiuyuan had a knack for infuriating people. The look on Songfeng’s face had been priceless.
“I… I can’t take it anymore…” She clutched her stomach, laughing so hard it hurt.
“You laugh so unattractively,” Lei Xiuyuan glanced at her. “Didn’t you want to see me? Now that you have time, feel free to look as much as you want.”
—