Chapter 23

Xiao Yu’s expression softened slightly, though he still wasn’t pleased, looking at her with a half-smile.
“I’ve said all I needed to say.”
Xiao Yu said coolly, “Now it’s time to take some action. What about your apology?”
Su Zhen looked at him with interest. “What do you want?”
The Jade Dust Immortal respectfully whispered, “Uncle Xiao—”
But after uttering just three words, his whole body suddenly shuddered, freezing in place.
“Can’t you see we’re talking? Who do you think you are, barging in here?” Xiao Yu snapped irritably, then turned back to Su Zhen. “Do you want anything?”
Su Zhen thought for a moment but really didn’t have any desires.
Xiao Yu caught on. “How about we take his spirit stones?”
…So you’re just robbing him, huh?
“Whatever you’re happy with, senior.”
At first, she was a little annoyed, but now it seemed Xiao Yu was even angrier than she was.
Su Zhen’s anger vanished completely, and she even wanted to smile. “By the way, could you please tell him not to bother me for a while, and not to snoop around using his divine sense to see what I’m up to?”
Xiao Yu glanced at the man in white under the tree. “Right, that’ll save you some trouble.”
His eyes suddenly narrowed.
His spellcasting was astonishingly fast; in an instant, he turned sharply and said, “Let’s go, unless you want to talk to him some more.”
The Jade Dust Immortal stepped back a few paces, holding his forehead as he sat beside the stone table, seemingly unaware there were two more people in the courtyard.
This was a lingering effect of the mental manipulation technique, though the higher one’s cultivation, the faster the recovery.
Su Zhen instantly slipped out of the courtyard.
Xiao Yu appeared at her side and casually handed her a small talisman stone. “There’s quite a bit of spirit stones stored inside.”
Su Zhen: “...I don’t want his money. Keep it yourself.”
Xiao Yu pocketed it without a second thought. “Money’s the last thing I lack. I just don’t like him.”
They stepped out of the courtyard, onto the mountain’s summit steps, descending along the winding stone path.
At night’s edge, a deep indigo hue appeared; dawn was near. A faint crescent moon gradually vanished into the mist, dissolving in the first light of dawn.
Su Zhen stopped and quietly gazed ahead.
The mountain ridges rose and fell, and in the distance, the sun rose in the east, its golden rays piercing through clouds and mist, illuminating the vast sea of trees on Weiyun Peak.
After admiring the sunrise for a moment, Su Zhen turned her face with a smile, “Thank you, senior.”
“You’re welcome.”
Xiao Yu said sincerely, “I really mean it—you don’t need to be so formal with me.”
Su Zhen nodded. “I’ll try.”
“Hm, I guess you won’t manage it easily at first, but that’s fine. Take your time.”
Su Zhen nodded silently. “My sect’s disgrace...”
“That’s nothing.”
Xiao Yu interrupted her. “I’m not defending him. I despise that man, but I’ve met even worse cultivators. And you’ve had fifty or sixty years of attachment, right? Surely, there must have been times you got along well. Your junior sister joined the sect thirty years ago?”
Su Zhen shook her head again. “She’s been here less than twenty years. Also, I can’t say my master and I got along well—it was just passable.”
She entered the sect young; although the eldest senior brother taught her a few times, Jiang Wang was not close to others, so they never bonded deeply.
Instead, several elders’ disciples from Weiyun Peak were friendly with her, treating her like a younger sister or even a daughter.
Some were like playmates who grew up with her, naturally talking about their relationships with her master.
The elders had different personalities.
Some were kind and gentle, caring for their disciples in every detail.
Some secluded themselves for years, with their disciples visiting them only once or twice in decades.
Some were stern and rigid, reprimanding nine out of ten things their disciples said, demanding the utmost discipline, punishing even minor faults severely during cultivation assessments.
Some ignored their disciples, handing over a few books for self-study, and the disciples dared not ask questions out of fear of annoying their masters.
Some behavior was so absurd it made Su Zhen wonder how such people could become elders with many disciples.
She soon understood: being an elder wasn’t about teaching ability, but about power and realm.
New cultivators rarely chose their masters freely.
Those with average talent went to outer sect, those with decent talent to inner sect, and only the gifted had elders as masters—some assigned by the sect leader, some picked casually by elders.
“At that time, I thought although my master wasn’t great, he wasn’t bad either. He did teach me a lot.”
Su Zhen sighed. “Some say it’s better to have a patient, gentle master with average power than one with great strength but bad temper.”
“Oh? You thought so too?”
“No. Since childhood, my mother told me there’s immense benefit in having a great master’s guidance. Sometimes just one or two words can save you a century of mistakes...”
That century might be the difference between death and extended life, between oblivion and breakthrough.
Though she hadn’t reached that level, she benefited greatly.
Su Zhen muttered, “Of course, those with vile character who treat disciples as mere tools or sacrifices are another matter. If the master is truly powerful and not life-threatening, and still willing to teach, even a word or two is worth enduring. A patient and gentle master is better, but that’s rare and not guaranteed.”
“Indeed.”
Xiao Yu said softly, “Without my master, I’d probably be bones long ago—either too weak and slaughtered, or stuck with no breakthrough. He was taciturn but attentive, both teacher and mother. I was quite lucky.”
Su Zhen smiled. “That’s good.”
“But even so, I’ve seen many sad things. Like a senior fellow disciple who chased a demonic cultivator, her sword qi shattered a nearby house, killing a family of five without a trace left.”
Xiao Yu spread his hands. “As a high-level Seventh Realm cultivator, she controlled her spirit power well. Had she cared even slightly, she wouldn’t have killed them all. But she didn’t care.”
Su Zhen recalled something her master had said. “What happened to her?”
“Dead.”
Xiao Yu said calmly, “I watched her get eaten by demons. Since she thought the weak deserved death, it’s fitting it happened to her.”
Su Zhen thought this was just Zhou Ziheng of Lingxiao Peak.
“That’s common. Many cultivators are like that, and so are mortals. I had a senior sister, a simple, kind farmer’s daughter. One day in the mountains, she found a treasure. Soon after, some wealthy villagers sent thugs to kill her family to steal it. In their eyes, their lives meant nothing.”
“Your senior sister?”
“Yes, my mother’s disciple.”
The senior sister visited relatives, returned home in despair, sneaked into the rich man’s house at night with a knife, killing several people before severely injuring herself.
“...She met my mother later, became a cultivator, then was killed by demonic cultivators. My mother avenged her by pursuing demons to the demon realm, killing many. The rest of the story isn’t worth telling.”
Su Zhen sighed softly.
Xiao Yu looked thoughtful. “I’m curious about something.”
“Ah?”
“Your noble families’ cultivation methods aren’t supposed to be passed on casually, right? Only to spouses? And with oaths?”
“You really don’t know?”
“No. I don’t know many people, and I don’t discuss such things.”
“Well, every family’s rules differ. Mine accepts disciples in two ways: one, guiding cultivation without teaching secret family methods—just handing over some scriptures and techniques from the vault to practice. Even if the master and disciple’s methods differ, having a teacher is better than none. Two, with an oath: learning the secret method that cannot be passed on, or death. It’s similar to our post-graduation oath.”
Xiao Yu nodded knowingly. “I see. Thanks for the lesson.”
Su Zhen was skeptical, feeling he couldn’t be that ignorant. “...I should be the one thanking you for going through all this for me over such a small matter.”
Xiao Yu frowned. “No, it’s not a small matter!”
“?”
“You did the right thing today! Please let me explain these things for you next time.”
Su Zhen: “...Next time? Who else dares boss me around? And I won’t have to see his face for long anyway.”
“Right.”
Xiao Yu said seriously, “But if you don’t clear this up now, whenever you think about your master’s nonsense about admiring me—when in fact it’s the opposite—you’ll feel upset. Over time, you’ll lose favor with me.”
Su Zhen looked at him, conflicted.
Though she didn’t fully understand one phrase, she roughly got his meaning.
She lowered her head slightly. “I did hear about your deeds long ago. Admiring you isn’t wrong. How many disciples don’t admire you? But his meaning was as if I…”
Xiao Yu froze upon hearing the word “admire.”
Then raised his hand to cover his mouth awkwardly. “Ahem, I get it—it sounds like you’re the one pestering me, but actually it’s the opposite. He’s just an idiot. Well, never mind.”
Su Zhen thought he seemed a little nervous.
Xiao Yu: “Are you going out?”
Su Zhen nodded. “Leaving today.”
“Going to the demon realm?”
Su Zhen was startled.
“…If you don’t want to say, I won’t ask.”
Su Zhen considered that if he wanted to track her position, she couldn’t hide it anyway, so she said, “Yes, the demon realm.”
She knew it was extremely dangerous for lower Seventh Realm cultivators to roam the demon realm—many demons beyond their ability to fight, not to mention demon clans and demonic cultivators.
The Jade Dust Immortal also knew she often went to the demon realm and disapproved, but gradually stopped opposing since she wouldn’t listen.
Xiao Yu smiled slightly. “Good. I wish you success.”
His words were sincere, though he didn’t know her purpose and didn’t try to stop her.
Su Zhen smiled slightly.
Although he had once slain a Demon God and spilled blood many times in the demon realm, after their spell exchange, she felt he wasn’t truly hateful of demon cultivators and clans.
His earlier harsh words about demon clans were likely deliberate.
“…Thank you, senior.”
Su Zhen took a few steps, then stopped and looked back at the man on the steps.
The young man in black stood quietly, not following, just watching her.
Su Zhen gazed into those bright blue eyes filled with morning light, seeing not only sincere and earnest blessings but also many unspoken words.
She blinked. “Senior, do you have more to say?”
Xiao Yu’s eyes brightened, hesitated, then slowly asked, “If—just if—you need, I can escort you. Do you want to go straight to the demon realm or use a boundary gate?”
In principle, the nine realms connect, but for those with insufficient cultivation, traveling from the human realm to the demon realm usually requires passing through boundary gates.
Legend says that in ancient times, the nine realms were one, but powerful battles caused them to split gradually.
Now, each realm is a separate plane, but some overlapping areas and spirit networks exist, creating many rifts.
Many rifts become boundary gates.
Demons can often enter rifts directly, but humans without sufficient power must use gates.
There are two types of gates: natural ones that appear irregularly and those artificially created.
Some are one-way, some two-way, and all are hard to find.
In places like the Eastern Domain, most natural gates are guarded by sect members or sealed; if the seal is disturbed, someone is alerted.
Even if members from other sects discover them, they usually report to the Heavenly Origin Sect.
But the Eastern Domain is vast and rich in ley lines; some natural gates in remote places fall under demon or monster control.
Artificial gates can be made but are extremely troublesome.
Su Zhen remembered the locations of 30 or 40 gates, about a third of which she could access now.
In her previous life, even gravely injured, she could travel magically between the demon and human realms. Now that attempt would risk her spirit shattering.
So boundary gates were the only option.
“I only asked casually,” Xiao Yu explained, seeming nervous again. “If you don’t need it, just ignore me.”
Snapping back to reality, Su Zhen said, “With my cultivation, I can only use gates too. I’m leaving today because that particular gate opens only once a year; going early is pointless.”
“...Within the Eastern Domain, there are gates like that, but none open soon.”
Xiao Yu suddenly said, “So the one you’re heading to must be in another region?”
Su Zhen spread her hands. “Suiyun Prefecture. If I go alone, it takes about a day. With you, it’s just a blink.”
Xiao Yu’s eyes gleamed. “Well, shall we go?”
Su Zhen looked at him thoughtfully. “You’re not going to ask what I’m doing there?”
“Oh, I don’t care what you’re doing. I just want to know if you want company. Besides, everyone going to the demon realm probably has a secretive purpose.”
Su Zhen raised an eyebrow. “So you’ve done it too?”
Xiao Yu chuckled, “I won’t say I’ve done everything you have, but I’ve done many things that would make righteous people cringe.”
Thinking of his spells and his personality, she didn’t doubt it.
“If you take me, consider it a favor owed.”
Xiao Yu said cautiously, “I’ll be your teleportation tool, won’t meddle otherwise.”
Su Zhen: “...You’re helping me; who owes whom? Shouldn’t you be the one taking me?”
Xiao Yu replied without hesitation, “I owe you, because you’re leading the way. I’m just the tool. So on the surface, I take you, but actually, you take me.”
Su Zhen: “?”
What a tongue twister.
She thought about the phrase “tool,” finding it amusing. “If you have a faster method, why waste time on the road?”
With his cultivation, tracking her position would be just a thought away.
Though he might not do so, just thinking about it made her feel fine traveling with him—it would save time.
Also, she wanted to understand what he truly thought of her.
Until now, Xiao Yu had shown many unusual signs, sparking her curiosity, though she couldn’t be sure yet.
Maybe getting to know him better would help confirm.
“Alright.”
Xiao Yu showed no attempt to hide his joy. “Where in Suiyun Prefecture?”
“Near Feihe City.”
“Let’s go.”
He raised his hand, seeming to want to touch her, but hesitated just before his fingertips reached her arm, then moved it above her shoulder.
Still, he didn’t touch her.
Su Zhen glanced sideways at his large, strong hand hovering just above her side, unsure where it would land.
Su Zhen: “...”
Was she some kind of evil entity covered in foul miasma?
Xiao Yu’s hand paused, then lifted again, fingertips sparking fine golden threads of light. Dozens of lines intertwined in the air before settling on the ground.
A golden teleportation array appeared beneath their feet.
Su Zhen’s vision darkened.
Then—
She saw endless, rolling snowy mountains.
Cold winds howled, swirling frost and snowflakes. The silhouette of a distant city loomed faintly. Villages dotted the mountainsides. Streaks of radiant clouds flashed overhead; some soared on swords, their spiritual pressure faint.
Su Zhen looked toward the great city ahead.
It stood between snowy peaks, encircled by towering mountains. City walls and gates rose high, bustling streets full of life. From afar, she saw streams of people and carriages, vibrant and lively.
She surveyed the surroundings.
They stood in snowy mountains outside the city, several miles from the gates, surrounded by snowy pine trees with icy needles. The air was damp and cold.
Su Zhen: “...We haven’t even left Weiyun Peak. I thought these vacant arrays could only be used within the sect.”
Xiao Yu: “No big deal. My master, senior brothers and sisters have done similar things. At most, the sect leader senses it, but she’s too lazy to care.”
Su Zhen didn’t mind. “If I hadn’t asked you earlier and just left, what would you have done?”
Xiao Yu was taken aback. “Left? I’d be a little disappointed—because I’d lose the chance to be your tool.”
“Just that?”
“What else?”
Su Zhen crossed her arms. “Then all the clothes I changed for would be wasted.”
Xiao Yu shrugged. “If you didn’t ask, fine. I feared if I offered first, you’d dislike it. I wasn’t sure if you’d speak up, but even a slight chance, I didn’t want to miss it. So I prepared in advance, even if it’s for nothing.”
“Wait, if I really wanted to go with you, I wouldn’t be so impatient as to not even wait to change clothes. And with your cultivation, even wearing a three-foot trailing robe wouldn’t affect you, right?”
“No effect, but it looks awkward. What if you’re unhappy?”
“Senior, you really...”
Su Zhen was speechless. “So that’s why you braided your hair?”
“Oh no, just wanted to look younger.”
“?”
She looked at his serious face and couldn’t help but smile slightly.
“Wait!”
Xiao Yu suddenly stopped, then nervously said, “Wait before you laugh, give me some time to prepare.”
“?”
“...I’m joking.”
They ascended the main southern mountain road. The terrain leveled slightly; fields and villages scattered among the woods. Dark roofs peeked through the treetops.
Mountain paths paved with blue-gray stones, some wide, some narrow, were nearly buried by snow. Footprints were quickly covered by fresh snow, and thin ice formed beneath.
Su Zhen saw distant villagers walking carefully: a woodcutter with firewood, a vegetable farmer with a basket, residents headed to the city market.
Since she wasn’t in a hurry and wanted to enjoy the scenery, she walked slowly.
Xiao Yu followed beside her, also treading lightly but not asking questions.
After a while, they heard panting behind.
Two people, one pushing and one pulling a small wooden cart, climbed the path. The wheels crushed ice and clattered on stone.
Su Zhen stepped aside, giving them room.
The cart was covered, but one corner was lifted, revealing fresh fruits and vegetables, some with unmelted snow.
The two wore patched jackets, layered clothing; their faces red from the cold, breath steaming through scarf gaps.
Though tired, their steps remained steady and strong.
Su Zhen glanced at the fruit, recognizing several local specialties—snow mountain crops influenced by spirit veins.
Locals often ate these spirit plants, so most were healthy.
“Miss,”
Su Zhen took out a small piece of silver, “I’ll buy two purple persimmons.”
Her voice was soft but carried clearly, unfazed by wind and snow.
The man in front stopped in shock; the one behind the cart also halted, both looking up in amazement.
They had only seen two figures before and hadn’t looked carefully. Now, surprised, they noticed the young duo stood bare-skinned in bone-chilling wind, faces normal, hair free of snow.
Their features were exquisite, so captivating no one could look away.
The man pulling the cart gasped and bowed, “Immortals!”
“No need. I just want to buy two fruits.”
Su Zhen steadied him and handed over the money. “I’ll pick the two myself.”
He nodded dumbfounded, then looked at the silver, exclaiming, “Immortal, this is too much! I—I should give you—”
As he reached for the money pouch, Su Zhen waved him off.
“No need for change. I have nowhere to put it.”
She chose two fruits from the cart. “This will do. Don’t let me keep you.”
The two soon walked away.
Su Zhen held the two round fruits, stroking their reddish-purple skins, and summoned a stream of water to wash off some dirt and grass.
Even in this freezing mountain, the water she conjured was warm.
But after leaving the fruits, the water froze quickly midair before hitting the ground.
Su Zhen lifted a purple persimmon. “Senior, want one? This should be sweet.”
Xiao Yu accepted obediently, looking calm. “Thank you.”
Water droplets clung to the fruit but showed no sign of freezing, still warm in his hand.
Su Zhen bit a few bites, then glanced at him, seeing him still holding the fruit, staring at it as if it were a priceless treasure.
Su Zhen: “...You’re not going to treasure this, are you?”
Xiao Yu snapped back. “Hmm? How do you know?”
Su Zhen glared. “Can you be normal? You ate the dessert I made last time, didn’t you?”
“That’s different. That was a return gift from you.”
Xiao Yu’s voice dropped. “This is... after we set out... you even thought to buy me something... just thinking about it makes me happy. Ah Wei died once again.”
Su Zhen: “???!”