“Please don’t misunderstand, Miss. I meant nothing else by it. It’s just that your sword is truly too beautiful—I can’t help but envy it.” Ye Fei’s face was somewhat red. She knew her question was very abrupt, but if she didn’t ask clearly, she might wonder about it for a hundred years.

“You mean this one?” Kong Hou removed the auspicious cloud hairpin from her hair. The hairpin transformed in her hand into the Shuishuang Sword. The faint blue light was stunningly beautiful, more dazzling than gemstones.

“Yes, yes, yes—that’s the one!” Ye Fei’s gaze stuck firmly to the sword body. She was reluctant to even blink.

“This sword is named Shuishuang. It was gifted to me by a sect elder. As for what materials were used and what things were embedded in it, I’m not clear.” Kong Hou currently only knew how to make some commonly used talismans and understood a bit of superficial knowledge about formations. She hadn’t studied artifact refining, pill refining, or beast taming much. Master’s thinking was that learning too many mixed things easily caused distraction. These could wait until after she reached Core Formation stage to begin hands-on practice.

“Miss doesn’t know either?” Ye Fei was somewhat disappointed. She reluctantly looked at the Shuishuang Sword several more times before withdrawing her gaze. “I’ve been presumptuous.”

“Miss Ye is too polite.” Kong Hou held the sword out before Ye Fei. “If you don’t mind, you can take it and examine it carefully. Perhaps you’ll find some clues.”

“Thank you, Miss!” Ye Fei carefully received the Shuishuang Sword with both hands. Upon touching it, she immediately felt the sword body contained tremendous energy, which nearly made her hands shake and lose her grip. The sword body was layered with countless runic patterns. Many of the patterns Ye Fei couldn’t understand at all, but she could see that the person who forged this sword was a rarely-seen master in the cultivation world—someone even money couldn’t buy. The stones embedded in the sword hilt weren’t gemstones at all, but rather Five-Fortune Stones rarely seen in the cultivation world. This type of stone could convert the energy of the five elements with tremendous power. A piece just the size of a fingernail could sell for hundreds of thousands of spirit stones at auction, yet this sword’s hilt had five embedded, each as large as a pigeon’s egg.

After seeing this sword’s full form, Ye Fei felt she wasn’t holding a sword but rather a small spirit vein, so heavy she could barely lift it. Even more terrifying was that her life-saving benefactor had casually handed the sword to her for appreciation—what kind of carefree mentality was this?

Trembling, she returned the Shuishuang Sword to Kong Hou. Ye Fei deeply recognized her own poverty.

“Did Miss Ye figure out what kind of stones these are?” Kong Hou transformed the sword back into a hairpin and casually inserted it back into her hair. Her ink-black tresses paired with the magnificent hairpin looked exceptionally beautiful.

Seeing Kong Hou’s casual attitude, Ye Fei guessed she truly might not know how precious the stones on the sword hilt were. Taking a deep breath, Ye Fei said, “Your elder must care for you very much.”

Kong Hou nodded. Everyone in the sect was very good—from the elders and master down to the junior brothers and nephews, there wasn’t a single one who wasn’t kind.

“The stones on the sword hilt are called Five-Fortune Stones. They can borrow the qi of heaven and earth’s five elements to condense on the sword body, allowing the sword to unleash tremendous power.” But the most formidable thing wasn’t these few Five-Fortune Stones—it was the countless layers of runic patterns layered on the sword body. Ordinary people simply couldn’t achieve this.

“I see.” Kong Hou nodded in sudden understanding, somewhat puzzled in her heart. Why did Miss Ye’s expression look so strange?

Seeing Kong Hou still maintaining her unperturbed composure, Ye Fei really wanted to grab her shoulders and shake her vigorously, wanting to tell her just how formidable and valuable this sword actually was. However, the young lady before her had eyes that were too pure. She felt that judging this sword’s worth by its value would be an insult to the sword.

Perhaps her elders, out of love for their junior, had given her this sword without wanting her to know its value. If that was the case, how could she be the villain?

“Kong Hou.” Huan Zong interrupted the two’s conversation and stood up. “We’ve been here for several days, and you still haven’t looked around the streets. Would you like to go out for a walk?”

“Sure!” Kong Hou agreed with a nod without even thinking. She gave Ye Fei an apologetic smile. “Miss Ye, please excuse me.”

“Please feel free, both of you.” Ye Fei stepped back, not quite daring to look at Huan Zong. For some reason, she felt somewhat afraid of this sickly young master. As soon as he spoke, she unconsciously became timid.

Could it be that receiving someone’s kindness made her feel inferior? But when facing this charming and lovely young lady, she didn’t seem to have this mentality.

Thinking it over, there could only be one reason—men weren’t as adorable as young ladies, so she unconsciously liked this young lady more.

“I’ll watch those two evil cultivators and won’t go out with you.” Lin Hu stood up, pointed upstairs, turned and strode away with large steps, not staying even a moment longer. Kong Hou watched his departing back, inexplicably feeling his steps seemed rather hurried.

Leaving the inn, though the sun had already come out, the ice on the ground hadn’t completely melted and was very slippery. In just a short stretch of road, Kong Hou had already seen several people fall. She couldn’t help touching the back of her head—how much must that hurt?

Three Trees City’s streets weren’t long, and the things sold in the shops were quite ordinary. After browsing the entire street, Kong Hou didn’t find anything suitable to send back to the sect. Fortunately, she wasn’t insistent—if there was nothing suitable, she simply gave up.

“Huan Zong.” She turned to look at the quiet, silent man beside her. “Are Five-Fortune Stones very rare?”

“Not particularly rare.” Huan Zong recalled for a moment. “I think there’s still a small box in my cave dwelling. If you like them, I’ll have Lin Hu make a trip back to the sect and retrieve them for you.”

These material possessions were all managed by Lin Hu. If it hadn’t been for御霄门 distributing New Year pouches to various main cities during the Ten Thousand Stars New Year’s Eve celebration a few years ago, when he saw sect members all contributing gifts to御霄门 and thus also gave御霄门 a Five-Fortune Stone, he wouldn’t even remember he had this item in his cave dwelling.

“I don’t want them.” Kong Hou shook her head, refusing without thinking. “What would I do with so many stones? They can’t be made into a necklace.” Kong Hou took out the stone she’d worn around her neck for several years. “I’ve grown accustomed to wearing this one these past few years.”

On her first night in Lingyou Realm, it was this stone that had accompanied her to sleep. Master said it had the effect of relaxing muscles, activating collaterals, cleansing meridians and cutting marrow, so she’d worn it around her neck and never removed it. Over the years, it had become a habit.

It was also for the sake of this stone that after that Nascent Soul cultivator surnamed Zhou who was related to御霄门 was imprisoned in Yunhua Sect’s prison, she hadn’t deliberately gone to find trouble with him. No matter what, without御霄门, she wouldn’t have obtained that golden pouch.

Huan Zong looked at the bead she’d pulled out from around her neck. His eyelids trembled slightly. This stone…

“Oh my!” Several steps away, an old person carrying a bamboo basket fell to the ground. Kong Hou wanted to step forward to help, but a vendor at a nearby stall said quietly, “Miss, you’d better be careful. This old fellow falls on the street dozens of times a day.”

Kong Hou looked at the vendor in confusion. What did this mean?

“Whoever helps him has to pay compensation.” Seeing Kong Hou’s fair and delicate appearance, the vendor couldn’t bear to see her deceived. “Quite a few outsiders have been fooled.”

Kong Hou: “…”

There were such people in the world?

She thought for a moment, then said to Huan Zong, “You go back first. I’ll go deal with him.” Saying this, she walked before the old person. “Uncle, are you all right?”

The old person, originally lying on the ground, quickly grabbed Kong Hou’s hem. “You little girl dressed so beautifully—how could you push me?”

The old person was smugly pleased. Little girls dressed beautifully like this who didn’t know the hardships of the world were the easiest to deceive. They were thin-skinned and couldn’t stand people pointing fingers at them. In the end, they could only compensate to settle matters.

However, the old person’s plan fell through. He hadn’t expected this pretty little girl to, without even thinking, also lie down on the ground and moan in pain, “Oh my, who pulled me? My leg is broken—it hurts so much.”

The old person stared dumbfounded at this scene. After being stunned for a long moment, he climbed up from the ground, patted the dirt from his clothes, and cursed, “Are you sick in the head?”

Something that could be resolved by paying a bit of money, and she had to lie on the ground. How could young ladies these days be so shameless?

“I’m going to report this to the City Lord’s Manor! You’ve bullied someone and still want to run!” Kong Hou pointed at the old person. Sitting on the ground, she alternated between crying out in pain and making accusations, quickly attracting a large crowd of onlookers. Especially several strong and sturdy men who, seeing the pretty young lady being bullied, surrounded the old person and wanted to send him to the City Lord’s Manor.

The old person, who’d always relied on public opinion to win, experienced for the first time the frustration of being unable to explain himself clearly. Especially seeing that little girl still sobbing and acting pitiful, he was even more furious. “She’s a fraud, deliberately extorting me.”

“That young lady looks so delicate and lovely, her clothes are also refined. Why would she extort you?” A middle-aged woman said, “Is anything on your entire body worth as much as one of her handkerchiefs?”

Who said rich people don’t deceive others? The old person was so angry he nearly rolled his eyes and fainted, but for some reason, his feet seemed beyond his control—they couldn’t even bend, let alone fake unconsciousness.

“Send him to the City Lord’s Manor!”

“Right! At such an old age, still bullying a young lady—shameless!”

“Disgraceful old fool!”

Huan Zong stood outside the crowd, watching Kong Hou covering her face and fake crying, the old man whose face was flushed red with anger, and the indignant onlooking crowd. He was completely stunned. As a disciple of a great sect, he’d never imagined someone would do such a thing.

For this type of ordinary person who liked to extort others, one could simply send them to the local City Lord’s Manor for resolution or directly teach them a lesson with magical arts. Where was the need for this?

But for some reason, though he clearly felt this wasn’t quite appropriate, he still followed behind the crowd, watching as the old person was escorted by everyone to the City Lord’s Manor. All along the way, the common people watching the excitement all learned he was an extremely shameful person.

The matter didn’t end until dark. Under the night sky, Huan Zong watched Kong Hou emerge from the City Lord’s Manor gates. After bidding farewell to several concerned aunties and matrons, she walked to his side. “Time to go back.”

“Huan Zong, you’ve been waiting outside for me this whole time?” Kong Hou’s cheeks were flushed. Seeing Huan Zong, she was somewhat surprised. “It’s so cold outside—you should have gone back to the inn to rest.”

“It’s fine. I had nothing else to do anyway.” Huan Zong saw there were still mud spots on Kong Hou’s skirt hem, probably stained when she’d lain on the ground earlier. “Why use such methods to deal with ordinary people?”

“I call this an eye for an eye. He extorts people, so I let him experience what it feels like to be extorted.” Kong Hou laughed happily. “This incident has caused almost the entire city to know he’s a fraud. Let’s see how he can deceive people in the future.”

Seeing the smile on her face, Huan Zong swallowed back all the words he’d originally wanted to say. “Very impressive.”

“It’s not that I’m impressive.” Kong Hou was somewhat embarrassed. “It’s just that when dealing with this type of shameless person, you have to be even more shameless than they are.”

She looked up. In the cloudless night sky hung a beautiful crescent moon—extremely lovely. She couldn’t help reaching out to point at the sky. “The moon!”

“Don’t point.” Huan Zong grasped her outstretched hand and pressed her finger down. Realizing this action was somewhat improper, he withdrew his hand like lightning and put it behind his back.

Kong Hou didn’t notice this detail, only asking in confusion, “Why can’t I point?”

“Children can’t point at the moon.” Huan Zong recalled many years ago when his mother had sat with him in the courtyard, telling him children couldn’t point at the moon and relating many stories about the moon.

It was just that this memory was too distant—so distant that even his mother’s appearance had become blurred.

“But I’m not a child anymore.” Kong Hou hopped two steps, catching up with Huan Zong’s pace. Her large eyes were exceptionally bright. “So it doesn’t matter if I point, right?”

“In my eyes, you’re still a child.” Seeing how happy she was stepping on the accumulated ice on the water’s surface, making crunching sounds as it broke, even Huan Zong’s eyes and brows relaxed.

“Where is there a child as old as sixteen?” Kong Hou nonchalantly withdrew her ice-stepping foot and resumed a proper appearance. “Huan Zong, will the evil cultivators Senior Lin Hu mentioned today be very troublesome?”

“As long as the ten great sects don’t fall, it won’t be any trouble.” Huan Zong saw her brows furrow. “You’re still young. Don’t let these matters affect your dao heart.”

“I wonder if Master Uncle has received my flying message talisman.” Kong Hou bit her lip corner and shook her head. “Having become a disciple of the sect means being part of the sect. I can’t just put everything aside because I’m still young.”

Hearing these words, Huan Zong’s heart stirred slightly. He no longer tried to dissuade her. He thought he probably understood why Yunhua Sect’s elders doted on Kong Hou so much.

After the flying message talismans were sent out, they quickly reached Liuguang Sect and Yunhua Sect. Upon receiving the news, Liuguang Sect took it very seriously. Just as they’d prepared their wording and were about to send messages to the other nine great sects, Yunhua Sect’s flying message arrived.

Jin Yue opened the flying message sealed with Yunhua Sect’s sect master’s seal. After reading the contents, his expression became even more grave. He hadn’t expected Yunhua Sect had also received the news. Moreover, what did the letter say?

Thanks to your sect’s disciple for taking care of our sect’s disciple along the way?

Jin Yue was very clear about his own disciples’ temperament. Disciples within the sect were obsessed with swords, had steady personalities and didn’t like to talk much, and were particular about rules in everything. Meanwhile, Yunhua Sect’s disciples mostly acted casually, had lively and spirited personalities, and especially loved joining in excitement. With such personalities, disciples from their sect probably couldn’t stand it. How could they possibly travel together with Yunhua Sect disciples when training outside?

They’d probably happened to meet and traveled together for a stretch. Heng Yan’s letter was just being polite with him. Having figured this out, Jin Yue sent back a carefully worded letter to Yunhua Sect and forwarded news about the evil cultivators to all the major sects.

In Yunhua Sect’s main hall, Heng Yan finished reading Liuguang Sect’s reply and passed the letter to several junior brothers. “During this period, disciples whose cultivation hasn’t reached Foundation Establishment cannot easily leave Yong City. Increase patrols within the city to ensure the safety of local common people. Additionally, dispatch all disciples with Golden Core cultivation or above to be stationed at subsidiary cities and subsidiary sects. Have them bring flying message talismans. Any suspicious people or matters must be reported back to the sect. Don’t be stingy with flying message talismans.”

“How many disciples are training outside?” Pei Huai asked. “Should we recall them?”

“Not for now, but we need to send them messages telling them to be careful and not go to remote towns.” Heng Yan said, “The situation isn’t clear yet. If we hastily recall all training disciples, won’t the small sects and schools below become panicked?”

Saying this, he saw Wang Tong twisting and turning in his chair, looking restless, and said, “Don’t worry. Kong Hou is traveling with Liuguang Sect disciples. Nothing will happen.”

“Liuguang Sect people have dull and boring personalities. With Kong Hou staying with them, will she be unhappy?” Wang Tong frowned. “Maybe I should call her back after all?”

“Wang Tong, Kong Hou must grow up eventually.” Heng Yan knew he was worried about Kong Hou’s safety and said earnestly, “Only by seeing and walking more will she understand the cruelty of the cultivation world. That child has been protected too well by us.”

Wang Tong muttered quietly, “I’d like to protect her for a lifetime.” One dotes on one’s own disciple—how could he bear to let her truly suffer?

“Spoiling a child is like harming a child, Junior Brother Wang Tong. You’re being obsessive.” Heng Yan said, “We’ve all watched Kong Hou grow up. Though her personality is somewhat innocent, she’s very clever and won’t suffer losses.”

“Not recalling her is fine.” Wang Tong extended his hand before Heng Yan. “Senior Brother, give me ten flying message talismans.”

“What for?” Heng Yan felt he owed these junior brothers something.

“To write letters to my disciple.” Wang Tong said righteously, “I don’t have any flying message talismans, so I can only ask you for some.”

Heng Yan sighed. He didn’t know how many debts he’d incurred or evils he’d committed in his past life to end up with such junior brothers. After giving one junior brother talismans, the other several also shamelessly came forward to ask. Heng Yan threw the flying message talismans at them and drove them all out.

“Wu Chuan.” Heng Yan’s face was full of vicissitudes as he said to his disciple, “Do you know why Master only took you as a disciple?”

Wu Chuan didn’t answer, because Master had already said this answer before him no fewer than twenty times.

“Master’s fate is poor—saddled with these junior brothers. I don’t want you to follow in my footsteps when you become sect master in the future.”

Wu Chuan held his sword, his tone calm. “Master, you’re still young.”

Becoming sect master—that was something to consider several hundred years from now.

Though they didn’t want to make a big fuss lest it affect disciples’ cultivation, as several Golden Core stage senior brothers and sisters were dispatched to other sects on business and inner sect disciples frequently went down the mountain to patrol the city, newly admitted disciples still sensed something was amiss.

However, as the food quality didn’t decrease over the following days, and the senior sisters and brothers at the dining hall still decided the amplitude of their wrist movements based on looks when serving them food, the newly admitted disciples quickly forgot this small episode and happily continued their days within the sect.

“Don’t you all think something’s wrong?” Gui Lin watched several disciples at the same table laughing and joking as they fought over dishes. He couldn’t help saying, “Many inner sect disciples have gone down the mountain the past two days.”

“What’s wrong?” Gao Jianyan shoveled a mouthful of rice and pressed down on the braised pork in his bowl, not letting another senior brother snatch it away. “Isn’t everything fine?” The food was still so delicious, and the senior sisters were each more formidable than the last.

“Several senior brothers and sisters with Golden Core cultivation have all been sent to subsidiary sects.” Gui Lin lowered his voice. “Haven’t you all heard any news?”

“Isn’t this quite normal?” Gao Jianyan’s entire focus was on the braised pork. Before coming to Yunhua Sect, he’d been pampered at home, and with elders in his family who were cultivators, he understood sect rules better. “Great sects dispatching people to subsidiary sects—isn’t that an established convention? Even Liuguang Sect sends people to supervise subsidiary sects. Otherwise, if subsidiary sects cause trouble, whose responsibility is it?”

“Little Gao is right. This kind of thing is very normal. Gui Lin, don’t overthink it.” The senior brother who hadn’t snatched the braised pork laughed and leaned over. “We’re disciples of one of the ten great sects. What could happen?” After speaking, while Gui Lin wasn’t paying attention, he quickly snatched away the braised pork from Gui Lin’s bowl and stuffed it in his own mouth.

Gui Lin took a deep breath, reminding himself not to get angry.

But no matter how he comforted himself, he felt like he was sitting with a bunch of pigs who only knew how to laugh and joke, eat and drink all day. Could they have any ambition at all?

“Don’t, don’t be angry. At worst, I’ll return the meat to you.” The senior brother picked out a piece of braised pork and returned it to Gui Lin.

“I’m not eating!” Gui Lin slapped the table and stood up to leave. He was afraid if he stayed with these people too long, he’d also turn into a pig.

“At such a young age, such a big temper.” The senior brother looked at Gui Lin’s back and nudged Gao Jianyan with his elbow. “What was he asking you about just now?”

Gao Jianyan thought about it. “I think he asked if anything was wrong.”

“His temper is what’s wrong.” The senior brother held his bowl and shook his head with a sigh. “Such delicious braised pork, and he can say he won’t eat it—that’s very wrong indeed.”

The Qingfeng Sect disciples recuperated at the inn for several days. When Hu Yi’an could move freely, people from Qingfeng Sect came to receive them.

Seeing that several disciples had all preserved their lives, the Qingfeng Sect elder breathed a sigh of relief. Carrying generous gifts, he went to thank Kong Hou and Huan Zong. However, he didn’t see Huan Zong—the one who met him was Lin Hu.

The moment Lin Hu appeared, the Qingfeng Sect elder was secretly shocked. Actually a Nascent Soul cultivator?!

Lin Hu acted as if he hadn’t seen the shock in the Qingfeng Sect elder’s eyes. With a stern face, he said, “Fellow Daoist needn’t be so polite. We’re all righteous cultivators. Helping each other is only proper.”

“Though for you, Fellow Daoist, it was merely a small effort, for our Qingfeng Sect, it’s an enormous kindness.” The Qingfeng Sect elder bowed. “I don’t know which sect’s expert Fellow Daoist belongs to. Though our Qingfeng Sect has no great achievements, we’d also like to do some small things for our benefactor.”

As a sect elder, speaking such words meant he was determined to repay the favor. If the life-saving benefactor was unwilling to accept their gratitude, they would repay the benefactor’s sect to show their sincerity.

Though Qingfeng Sect’s position in the cultivation world couldn’t compare to the ten great sects, it was still a sect with standing and reputation in the cultivation world. This showed how solemn this commitment was. If an ordinary person received such a promise, they’d probably feel both apprehensive and delighted. However, the one standing before him was Lin Hu.

His expression remained calm. “Fellow Daoist need not be so polite.”

“Please inform me, Fellow Daoist.” The elder bowed deeply.

Lin Hu sighed. Why was this necessary? Though the embarrassing matter between Liuguang Sect and Qingfeng Sect from years ago hadn’t been mentioned again, it hadn’t been completely forgotten either.

“Fellow Daoist.” Seeing Lin Hu not speaking, the elder bowed deeply again.

Seeing him so insistent, Lin Hu could only say, “My young master is a disciple of Liuguang Sect.”

The Qingfeng Sect elder: “…”

This fellow daoist was talking about… that rigid and boring Liuguang Sect that could be so heartless as to not even decorate their life-bound swords?