Qingshi Manor was the most beautiful place on the Eastern Island of Tianji.

The thousand-step, winding torii gates were extraordinary in themselves.

The surrounding mountains created an ancient and tranquil atmosphere.

Beyond the torii entrance was a paradise.

Along the quiet pathways, clusters of flowers bloomed everywhere. It was the season when begonia flowers were in full bloom, their pink and white branches reaching over the red courtyard walls, appearing lazy and alluring.

Within the walls was a vast circular lake. Over the water, thousands of rooms were built with bamboo and wood, with a tall building rising in layers at the center.

There were courtyards and flower groves, lanterns, and wind chimes hanging from the eaves, and doors adorned with different painted scenes.

All of them were personally painted by Yun Shouxi.

The tall building occupied almost the entire lake surface, with only a ring of water lilies planted around the outer edge.

A circle of begonia flowers grew on the courtyard walls.

This was Shen Tower, where Yun Shouxi resided.

Ling Luo followed Yun Shouxi across the suspended bridge leading to the center. Below, she saw elegant single-story buildings on the water, each with its courtyard. The greenery in the yards was perfectly arranged, with deer-startling devices on stone platforms making gentle sounds as water flowed slowly.

“Your two senior brothers have their rooms and small courtyards in Shen Tower, and they often stay here,” Yun Shouxi said as they walked. “I have prepared a place for you as well, in the Lower West Courtyard.”

Ling Luo descended from the suspended bridge and walked toward the Lower West Courtyard he mentioned.

When she pushed open the door, familiar scenery greeted her eyes.

She had lived here for nearly four years and remembered it vividly. When she first arrived, she felt joy and gratitude; when she left, she felt hatred and disgust.

From the flowers and plants in the courtyard to the small ornament on the table inside, everything had been arranged by Yun Shouxi according to “her” preferences.

From the first day, Ling Luo moved into the Lower West Courtyard of Shen Tower, Yun Shouxi had begun reshaping her, denying and erasing her self-existence, turning her into someone else.

“The sect robes are inside. Go and change,” Yun Shouxi said, standing under the begonia tree in the courtyard. “From now on, you will live here.”

In the past, Ling Luo had naively accepted this arrangement and stayed in the Lower West Courtyard. Only later did she learn that personal disciples also had their dormitories. But at that time, she had admired Yun Shouxi wholeheartedly and had no thoughts of leaving.

Now Ling Luo feigned innocence and deliberately asked in confusion, “Inner disciples also have dormitories. How could I impose on Master by living here?”

Yun Shouxi smiled slightly, “I want you to live here so I can teach and guide you at any time. If you want to stay in the dormitory, are you perhaps trying to slack off?”

Ling Luo: “…”

“Disciple would never think such a thing. I’ll go change into the sect robes right away.” As she spoke, she closed the door and walked toward the inner room.

Inside, there was a faint scent of sandalwood, giving a warm feeling.

The white and gold sect robes were placed by the bed. Ling Luo reached out to touch them—they felt cool and smooth, made of excellent material.

The belt was engraved with mountain and water symbols, protecting disciples from the array of formations and spiritual attacks left by the sect’s ancestors in the mountains and waters of Eastern Island Tianji.

As Ling Luo removed her clothes, a jade bead fell from her sleeve. With a clatter, it rolled across the floorboards until it hit the corner of the table and stopped.

It was a light pink spirit jade bead, small and lovely, with a bright luster, commonly used to amuse children. Some spirit jade beads contained scenes and sounds, sealed inside with spiritual power.

The difference in popularity between spirit jade beads with and without scenes was immense.

Only those with extremely powerful cultivation could create spirit jade beads containing scenes, making such beads very rare and precious.

Ling Luo walked to the table and silently looked down at the spirit jade bead at her feet.

It was a bead that had recorded a scene, but its once clear and bright core was now cracked with countless fissures.

Ling Luo bent down to pick it up and hid it away again.

She wanted to see the person eternally preserved within the jade bead again, but she knew that even one more glance would only make her more violent.

Ling Luo calmed her emotions before opening the door.

Dressed in the inner disciple robes, she called out properly, “Master.”

As Ling Luo lowered her head, Yun Shouxi’s gaze upon her was profound.

On her first day as a personal disciple, Ling Luo was taken by Yun Shouxi to familiarize herself with Qingshi Manor, finally returning to the Upper West Pavilion of Shen Tower to learn the basics of inner sect cultivation methods.

The Upper West Pavilion was a semicircular open terrace where she would be taught magical techniques. For sword practice, he would take her to the sword hall.

At noon, Yu Xiu brought food boxes for the two of them.

Ling Luo was inwardly bored, having to relearn these magical theories that she already knew by heart from her previous life.

But she had no choice but to go through it all again, and she couldn’t let Yun Shouxi notice anything suspicious.

In the afternoon, they practiced swordsmanship in the sword hall. Yun Shouxi first taught her how to use Yingxi. In her previous life, Ling Luo had been attentive and quick to learn, but now she pretended to be slow-witted, claiming she couldn’t understand even after Yun Shouxi demonstrated three or five times.

Yun Shouxi was very patient with her, with a good temper, and demonstrated once more.

Ling Luo opened Yingxi and infused it with spiritual power, but failed to resonate with it—the fan surface remained an ordinary sheet of blood-red.

She said dejectedly, “I guess I’m too stupid. I still can’t learn after Master has demonstrated so many times.”

Yun Shouxi smiled, “Don’t always say such discouraging things. I think you’re not taking it seriously.”

After Ling Luo’s persistent pretense of being slow, Yun Shouxi finally gave up teaching her about Yingxi and turned to teaching swordsmanship instead.

Yun Shouxi handed her a sword while taking a wooden one himself, saying, “The great way is simple. Sometimes a sword is not a sword; it exists not in your hand, but in the spiritual power triggered by your every thought.”

After taking the sword, Ling Luo glanced at him, unconsciously recalling Yue Liangze practicing with a wooden sword under the moonlight.

She pretended to ask curiously, “Master, if a person with weak spiritual power practices sword cultivation, do they have a chance to become a very powerful, very formidable sword master?”

Such naive and innocent questions were appropriate for someone her age.

Yun Shouxi didn’t suspect anything and smiled while holding his sword, “If one has the heart for it, there is certainly a chance. The Way of Heaven is fair—however much you put in, you will certainly receive returns.”

Ling Luo thought to herself that this was his view of the Way, not necessarily the Way of Heaven’s intention.

But it couldn’t be denied that Yun Shouxi was indeed very powerful in the path of cultivation.

“Feel free to use all your strength. I want to see your limits,” Yun Shouxi said, holding his sword toward her with one hand behind his back.

Ling Luo drew her sword, which made a slight sound as it left its scabbard.

Perfect—she also wanted to test herself.

“Master, please forgive your disciple’s offense.”

Ling Luo channeled her energy and danced with her sword, concentrating and seriously engaging in the match with Yun Shouxi.

Yun Shouxi remained composed, fighting with one hand, his movements ethereal yet fluid, easily deflecting her attacks, though slightly surprised that her skill exceeded his expectations.

In the past, when Ling Luo sparred with Yun Shouxi, she relied on her abundant spiritual power rather than techniques and sword skills.

Afterward, Yun Shouxi commented that she had extraordinary spiritual talent and high comprehension but didn’t know how to use a sword.

Before coming to Eastern Island Tianji, she indeed didn’t know how to use a sword.

Now, Ling Luo’s sword techniques were skillful, and her control of spiritual energy and hand seals coordinated perfectly. Even facing the Third Sect Leader of Eastern Island Tianji, the immortal cultivator San Xi Zhen Jun, she showed no hesitation or fear, performing steadily.

The smile in Yun Shouxi’s eyes deepened.

Such talent gave him great pleasure.

Ling Luo used only the techniques she had learned at Tianji, hiding her other abilities—either that or her current strength was insufficient to use them.

At least for now, she couldn’t defeat Yun Shouxi.

In the final clash of swords, Ling Luo cut a notch in the wooden sword, but Yun Shouxi’s wooden sword was already at her throat.

Ling Luo looked up at him with a smile, her face full of admiration, “Disciple won!”

Yun Shouxi withdrew his sword and praised her, “Not inferior to your two senior brothers.”

Ling Luo pretended to be happy and said, “Thank you for your praise, Master.”

It was only the first day, and both maintained a delicate distance, not becoming too close.

After the sword practice ended, Ling Luo returned to the Upper West Pavilion and knelt at the table to write out magical techniques from memory.

Behind her, the sun was setting, casting large patches of orange-red sunlight.

Yun Shouxi sat not far away, brewing tea over a fire, with many talismans waiting for him to continue writing.

Neither master nor disciple spoke. The evening breeze passed by, carrying the scents of tea and ink.

After finishing her writing, Ling Luo put down the brush and looked toward Yun Shouxi, saying, “Master, I still have some things in my outer sect dormitory that I want to retrieve.”

Hearing this, Yun Shouxi nodded, “I’ll have someone from the outer sect bring them to you.”

“That won’t be necessary. I can go myself,” Ling Luo smiled shyly. “Why trouble others with such small matters? Besides, I also want to say something to my friends who are still in the outer sect.”

Yun Shouxi then said, “Go ahead. If you need anything else, you can inform your Second Senior Brother through the jade listener.”

Ling Luo bowed and withdrew, crossing the suspended bridge to leave Shen Tower.

She played with the jade listener in her hand, which she had not yet activated with blood.

Qin Yuan had already entered the inner sect, so she didn’t need to go to the outer sect to find anyone, nor did she have any important possessions left in the dormitory.

Ling Luo simply wanted to see Yue Liangze.

To ask him why he hadn’t entered the inner sect.