Chapter 4:

As a sister sect, Xue Ying actually knew Du Yizhou.

Earlier, Xue Ying, Wen An, and Du Yizhou were close friends. Since life in the Tai Xuan Sect was tough, Du Yizhou often invited the two to stay at the Tai Chu Sect for a while. The Tai Chu Sect practically became Xue Ying’s second home. Later, an accident happened…

Thinking of Du Yizhou’s lifeless expression at the mountain gate, Xue Ying sighed and pushed those unpleasant thoughts aside.

After walking for a while, the full view of the Tai Chu Sect gradually unfolded before Xue Ying’s eyes.

Colorful clouds drifted slowly across the sky, radiant and dazzling, occasionally accompanied by the cries of cranes and the dance of phoenixes on the eaves. Compared to the Tai Xuan Sect’s pure, pollution-free air, the Tai Chu Sect’s spiritual energy was like perfumed mist, making one feel light and ethereal just by breathing it in.

Several palaces floated mid-air, with waterfalls cascading down at times, creating another breathtaking sight. “The jade capital in the heavens, twelve towers and five cities.” The Tai Chu Sect boasted hundreds of wondrous landscapes, each a paradise, a blessed land.

No wonder outsiders fought tooth and nail to get in. Staying in the Tai Chu Sect, even without cultivation, just being nourished by the spiritual energy daily could grant one a healthy life of two hundred years.

However, the Tai Chu Sect’s entry requirements were extremely strict, only accepting top students and prodigies—akin to the prestigious universities of later generations, like X University or Qing X. Meanwhile, the Tai Xuan Sect was also known as the “Swordsman Vocational Academy,” a branch of the Tai Chu Sect.

Xue Ying’s entire outfit was provided by the Tai Chu Sect.

Her robes, sword case, even her lifebound sword, Bai Lu—all bore the same label:

“Manufacturer: Tai Chu Sect.”

Ah, best not to dwell on it.

As she approached the Tai Chu Sect’s main hall, the Tai Ji Hall, a low rumble echoed from below. Xue Ying guessed that the old turtle was having another deep sleep.

The Tai Chu Sect’s guardian treasure was the ancient divine turtle, Xuan Ming. Just this turtle alone put other sects to shame. According to Du Yizhou, this giant turtle had been tricked by their sect’s founder onto its back, where the Tai Ji Hall was built. The agreement was to release it after a thousand years, but…

“Divine turtles never serve, unless food and shelter are provided.”

Now, nearly ten thousand years later…

The turtle’s breath had become the Tai Chu Sect’s natural barrier, forming its own ecosystem. The entire sect’s construction revolved around the divine turtle, with slight differences between its head and tail. The tail’s breath was weaker, less affected by true fire, so the Sword Forge was built there.

Xue Ying’s destination was the Sword Forge.

She had a good friend—also known as a “tool person”—who was a forging maniac, permanently stationed in the Sword Forge.

Most of the Tai Chu Sect’s magical treasures were forged with true fire. Early in the sect’s founding, the founder, lamenting the difficulty of finding suitable furnace flames, retrieved the core of true fire from the Undying Volcano and placed it in the Sword Forge’s furnace. Since then, the flames never extinguished, and the Tai Chu Sect never fell.

The massive furnace stood at the center of the Sword Forge, its true fire extracted by disciples to refine treasures. The area was perpetually scorching, like the height of summer. Thanks to her cultivation, Xue Ying didn’t feel the heat much, but she couldn’t help wondering:

Didn’t the turtle worry about getting its butt burned?

As she neared the Sword Forge, Bai Lu in her sword case grew restless. Knowing it was just nervous excitement, Xue Ying released Bai Lu, which instantly shot toward the forge like a streak of white light.

Xue Ying followed closely. The moment she stepped inside, a clear, youthful voice rang out, “Bai Lu, you’re back to see me! Does that mean Senior Sister Xue Ying is here too?”

The once-noisy forge suddenly fell silent. A crowd seemingly materialized out of nowhere, rushing toward Xue Ying, shouting excitedly:

“Senior Sister Xue Ying! It really is Senior Sister Xue Ying!”

“Senior Sister Xue Ying, I love you!”

“Senior Sister, I forged new robes for you! Look at me!”

“And me! I have the latest sword case!”

“A full set of hair ornaments!”

“A doll!”

The male disciples were one thing, but even female disciples swarmed her with embroidered pouches and golden hairpins. Used to the Tai Chu Sect’s enthusiasm, Xue Ying plastered on a professional smile, accepting their gifts one by one while waiting for the “Voice of Truth” to chime in.

[This was his privately treasured exquisite hairpin. To have it reach Senior Sister Xue Ying’s hands, untouched by that shrew, is truly a blessing.]

A collective sigh rose from the crowd. Xue Ying glanced at the disciple before her, then at the voluptuous woman in red standing not far away, forcing a polite yet awkward smile.

Oh no. She’d accidentally become the other woman.

The red-clad woman stepped forward, sneering, “As if you’re worthy!”

“Uh, I—”

She shoved her partner aside and pulled out a box of rouge from her sleeve, cheeks flushing. “Senior Sister, this is the latest rouge from the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion. A small token of my admiration—please accept it.”

…Sis, your gaze is a bit off!

Wiping cold sweat, Xue Ying took the rouge, watching as the red-clad woman dragged her partner away without daring to comment.

One misunderstanding was bad enough—she didn’t need two.

The next gift was a supreme-grade elixir from the Tai Su Valley, capable of reviving the dead and regrowing flesh. Xue Ying blinked—this was too extravagant.

The scholarly Tai Chu disciple clasped her hands together pleadingly. “Senior Sister Xue Ying, I beg for your blessing. If Huaijin-gege recovers, this humble believer vows to be vegetarian for life.”

Xue Ying: “…”

The legendary Voice of Truth didn’t disappoint. After receiving such a lavish gift, it lazily commented:

[She pleads before Xue Ying again and again, hoping for her lover’s recovery. Poor girl—she doesn’t know her lover is currently fooling around.]

The atmosphere instantly froze. Xue Ying comforted the devastated girl, “Junior Sister, chin up. There are plenty of fish in the sea.”

The girl shook her head, suddenly producing a gleaming golden pair of scissors. Tearfully, she said, “Thank you, Senior Sister, for revealing the truth. I’ll go cut off this karmic debt.”

Xue Ying: I think you mean something else.

Next up was a confession.

“Senior Sister Xue Ying, I love you.”

[No money, no status, not even qualified to be a pretty boy. Next.]

The random disciple looked hurt. “But my feelings for Senior Sister are genuine!”

[The spare tire pile won’t miss one more or less.]

Xue Ying: “Shut up.”

[Come on, be serious. Have you ever seen a novel’s female lead marry a nobody…]

Taking a deep breath, Xue Ying willed her sword to move. Bai Lu flew from the boy’s hand into hers, and with a single slash toward the sky, the heavens trembled. The clouds were torn apart, leaving a gaping hole.

Her spiritual energy was also completely drained.

[X Mobile Reminder: Dear user, your MP has been depleted. Please recharge promptly. Services will be temporarily suspended. Thank you for your understanding.]

Perfect. Finally, silence.

After the sweet automated voice finished, a wilted Xue Ying encouraged the random disciple, “I look forward to the day we can team up.”

The Tai Chu Sect’s rule was that disciples could partner with a Tai Xuan disciple for training missions—as hired muscle.

Of course, Xue Ying’s rates were steep.

Tears welled up in the disciple’s eyes. “I’ll work hard to earn money!”

After shooing away her admirer, Xue Ying addressed the remaining crowd. “Junior brothers and sisters, today I’ve come to request the ‘Flame Gaze.’ The Voice of Truth is indiscriminate, and I don’t want anyone led astray by others’ words. Please, for now, disperse.”

With Xue Ying’s request, the crowd reluctantly left, though not without hopeful pleas:

“Senior Sister, can you stay longer this time? I want to spar with you!”

Xue Ying nodded. “Of course, of course.”

Finally alone, Xue Ying leaned against a weapon rack, panting. The youth from earlier cautiously approached. “Senior Sister?”

Xue Ying clutched her chest. “Help me take off the sword case.”

Without spiritual energy, she was as weak as a mortal. Carrying a several-hundred-pound sword case was crushing her chest.

“Zi Ya, I need you to forge the Flame Gaze for me.”

The boy fumbled with the sword case, stealing glances at Xue Ying. Depleted of energy, the true fire soon reddened her cheeks, her lips glowing temptingly in the flames.

Staring at her slightly parted lips, his face flushed, and he hastily looked down, murmuring, “With all the materials, it’ll take three to five days.”

The materials for the Flame Gaze were rare, and the process complex. As the Sword Forge Elder’s closed-door disciple, Zi Ya was one of the few who could craft it.

The Tai Chu Sect’s twenty-four divine swords were all forged by the Sword Forge Elder. Xue Ying obtained Bai Lu and later met Zi Ya. This disciple was unexpectedly naive—rumored to be a disfavored royal descendant. The elder had stumbled upon him while gathering materials. The fearless child answered every question and even pointed out the material’s location: his great-grandfather’s tomb.

Feeling guilty about grave-robbing, the elder took Zi Ya to the Tai Chu Sect as repayment.

Zi Ya turned out to be a natural. He quickly mastered forging and now handled most artifacts independently.

Geniuses often lacked common sense. Zi Ya’s social skills were abysmal. Bullied as a child, he couldn’t refuse requests. When Xue Ying first met him, he was overworked—helping a senior with his thesis.

Xue Ying promptly reported it to Du Yizhou.

After her intervention, no one dared bully Zi Ya again. Everyone assumed he was under Xue Ying’s protection. Grateful, Zi Ya eagerly forged more items for her.

Xue Ying: Are you racing to be a tool?

Luckily, as a sword cultivator, Xue Ying didn’t need many artifacts. So far, she’d only accepted one sword case from Zi Ya—because the Tai Xuan Sect didn’t produce them.

Rebuilding the Flame Gaze was trickier. Xue Ying pulled out the tattered remains, asking if it could be salvaged. “Maybe patched up?”

Zi Ya ignored her, trembling as he took the ruined artifact, heartbroken. “The Flame Gaze is indestructible! How could it end up like this?”

Xue Ying coughed awkwardly, not mentioning she’d stabbed her master’s kidney with it.

After years of fighting Yu Hengzi, this was her first successful injury.

A little more effort, and maybe she could dethrone him as Sword Immortal.

“Can’t fix it. Must reforge.”

Zi Ya shed his naivety, exuding confidence as he unrolled a jade slip listing the required materials. Glowing sections indicated available stock; dark ones meant missing.

“Two missing: Scarlet Star Dust and Boundless Rain.”

Xue Ying hesitantly asked, “Where can we find them?”

She was broke—could they mine them directly?

Zi Ya sighed. “Nowhere.”

“Both are treasures of the Lin family—Lin Jiu Jiu’s dowry.”

Xue Ying: What a fantastic plot device!

…

Xue Ying’s feud with Lin Jiu Jiu wasn’t major, but neither was it minor. In the novel, they fought over a man, with Lin Jiu Jiu repeatedly scheming against Xue Ying before being stabbed through the heart by Liu Junzhuo.

In the story, Lin Jiu Jiu was sickly—poisoned in the womb, barely surviving birth, and incapable of cultivation. Normally, she wouldn’t qualify for the Tai Chu Sect, but her father was the sect’s treasurer—filthy rich.

Money solved everything.

Like securing a spot for a mortal, or funding endless elixirs and artifacts to force her cultivation.

In the novel, Lin Jiu Jiu’s frail act successfully lured Liu Junzhuo repeatedly, infuriating readers. In reality, Xue Ying and Wen An often stole Du Yizhou’s attention, making Lin Jiu Jiu cry.

Due to various reasons, Xue Ying avoided Lin Jiu Jiu, as did Wen An (for gender and status). That left only Du Yizhou, her fellow disciple.

Lin Jiu Jiu clung to Du Yizhou desperately.

Too bad Du Yizhou was an idiot.

The Tai Chu Sect’s head disciple had a peculiar childhood—likely from reading too many martial arts novels. He idolized sword cultivators, despite being a spellcaster, and envied Xue Ying and Wen An, trailing after them while ignoring Lin Jiu Jiu.

“Women hinder my sword training. Scram!”

Their relationship worsened with age. After reality crushed his dreams, Du Yizhou embraced materialism, ditching his sword-cultivator friends to focus on sect politics. Lin Jiu Jiu, triumphant, never missed a chance to mock Xue Ying.

Now that Xue Ying was begging for help, Lin Jiu Jiu would be overjoyed.

But without the Flame Gaze, Xue Ying couldn’t function. After some deliberation, she decided to approach Lin Jiu Jiu.

Insults be damned—if Lin Jiu Jiu provided the materials, Xue Ying would erect a longevity tablet for her and offer incense daily.

Grabbing a recovery pill from Zi Ya, Xue Ying nibbled one cautiously (to avoid overcharging) and headed to Bi Luo Peak, silently praying:

Don’t reactivate after a measly recharge, Voice of Truth. Have some dignity.