The marketplace’s Heavenly Street was decorated with lanterns and streamers. Occasionally, rogue cultivators or sect disciples descended from the night sky, browsing the spirit artifacts and pills at stalls lined up along both sides of the street.
Ye Anping matched Bai Yuexin’s pace as they strolled along Heavenly Street. He listened as Bai Yuexin recounted her experiences forging iron and swords under Mr. Liu at the Sword Pavilion of the Xuan Xing Sect over the years.
Mr. Liu of the Sword Pavilion, whose full name was Liu Dazhu, was at the early stage of Deity Transformation. Because his name was too common, he was always too embarrassed to engrave his full name on sword hilts, so most cultivators in the Four Domains didn’t know it. However, when discussing immortal sword masters in the Four Domains, Liu Dazhu would claim to be second to none, and no one in the immortal families would dare to claim first. Not to mention how many famous swords he had forged in his lifetime. The Snow Jade Myriad Spirit Sword currently in Ye Anping’s storage bag bore the marks of Mr. Liu’s hammer, and this alone was enough to grant him distinguished honor.
“Mr. Liu is very petty. Last time, I accidentally forgot to cook him morning tea, so he punished me by making me clean the sword-washing furnace alone. He also told me I couldn’t leave any dust behind and made me fetch him foot-washing water. That old man is so annoying,” Bai Yuexin complained, which made Ye Anping feel a little helpless. He said, “Mr. Liu is a very formidable sword master.”
“He’s formidable, that’s true… but all the disciples at the Sword Pavilion are rough, burly men. After I arrived, Mr. Liu specially made me a small courtyard to live in,” Bai Yuexin pouted slightly, gesturing with her hand. “Those Sword Pavilion disciples are so tall and strong, nothing like how handsome you are, Anping, and they all smell of sweat. I feel like I’m going to get smelly…”
Ye Anping squinted and smiled, “The number one female sword master of Xuan Xing Sect.”
“Sarcastic…” Bai Yuexin playfully pinched Ye Anping’s face in dissatisfaction. However, upon seeing Ye Anping’s profile, her eyes showed a hint of admiration. She asked, “Anping, you arranged it for me, didn’t you? How did you do it?”
“Hmm…” Ye Anping raised an eyebrow. “What does Elder Sister mean?”
“Mr. Liu accepting me as a personal disciple. How did you convince Mr. Liu?” Bai Yuexin pouted at Ye Anping, curiously saying, “A few years ago, the young master of the Bai Lian Sect came to visit and knelt before his door for half a month, but Mr. Liu still didn’t agree. After I went and cooked him morning tea for ten days, he suddenly agreed to take me as a personal disciple.”
After forming his Core back then and returning to Xuan Xing Sect, he had also held onto a sliver of hope, asking Bai Yuexin to help him deliver a letter to Si Xuanji, thinking perhaps Si Xuanji could give Bai Yuexin an opportunity on his behalf. It turned out his influence was quite significant.
Ye Anping smiled and replied, “Could it be that Mr. Liu saw your talent in sword forging, Elder Sister, and that’s why he took you as a disciple?”
“How is that possible…” Bai Yuexin laughed helplessly. “Not to mention that Mr. Liu has never taken a personal disciple. I’m a woman… Even from the beginning of time, the number of female sword masters can be counted on two hands. And Mr. Liu is quite rigid and old-fashioned. If it weren’t for something, how could he have taken me as a disciple?”
“Mmhmm…” Ye Anping pretended to be confused and thought for a moment. “Then I really have no clue. It’s truly strange…”
Bai Yuexin knitted her brows and complained, pinching Ye Anping’s waist. “Acting! Keep acting!!”
Ye Anping, already at the Nascent Soul stage, couldn’t possibly be hurt by a pinch on the waist, but he still feigned pain and quickly moved a step to the side. “Hiss— Don’t pinch… Elder Sister, you’ve hammered iron for years, your grip is strong, it hurts, it hurts—”
“I can still pinch a Nascent Soul cultivator to death? Humph!”
As they bickered playfully, they soon arrived at a shop selling artifact furnaces. Shelves were filled with a dazzling array of furnaces and pills. Ye Anping and Bai Yuexin stopped simultaneously, looking up at the shop’s facade.
Bai Yuexin asked, “Where is Ye’s Physiotherapy Shop?”
Ye Anping shrugged. “Closed for several years.”
“The young boss ran off, and in just a few years, he’s already a Nascent Soul cultivator.” A hint of nostalgia flashed in Bai Yuexin’s eyes. She inexplicably remembered a young cultivator in the Qi Refining Stage who had come to her for a business license and even massaged her feet.
Bai Yuexin covered her mouth and laughed. “In a few more years, after you reach Deity Transformation, can I publicly announce that! Look… that Deity Transformation cultivator massaged my feet!”
“Deity Transformation in a few years, Elder Sister, you think too highly of me.”
“Less than ten years, and you’ve gone from a Qi Refining young cultivator to a Nascent Soul cultivator. Who knows… You’ll have to show filial piety to your Elder Sister in the future, don’t forget that your shop couldn’t have opened without my signature back then!”
Ye Anping raised an eyebrow and said jokingly, “Elder Sister, why have you become so mercenary?”
“Heh…” Bai Yuexin hugged Ye Anping from behind, pulling him into her embrace, and swaying him as they walked forward. “I never expected that the young master with dual spiritual roots in the Qi Refining Stage back then would actually reach Nascent Soul now… He could even establish his own sect.”
“I’m the young master of the Hundred Lotus Sect, after all.”
“A dissolute rich young master.”
As Bai Yuexin said this, the voices of several male cultivators drinking and chatting at a nearby tea stall suddenly entered their ears:
“Didn’t that young master of the Hundred Lotus Sect have a marriage engagement with Lord Li of Chi Long Mansion? Weren’t they showing affection on the street some time ago? Why is he marrying this Miss Pei now?”
“Alas… he’s handsome, and he’s a sect young master, plus he’s a Nascent Soul cultivator. What’s the big deal?”
“I guess our Western Regions can finally have a Yun Tianchong. Oh right, Ye Tianchong… I don’t think he’s taken a Taoist name yet. Do you think he’ll be called ‘Tianchong’?”
Ye Anping’s forehead was covered in black lines as he listened, while Bai Yuexin covered her mouth and laughed like a bell.
“Ye Tianchong… so many cultivation partners~ How many is that?”
“I’m not like Yun Tianchong.”
“Yes, yes, yes… you’re about to marry Sister Pei, right? Perfect timing.”
Bai Yuexin released Ye Anping’s shoulder, walked in front of him, turned around, and waved her hand. A stream of spiritual light flew out from her storage bag and landed in her palm, condensing into a spirit sword whose scabbard, hilt, and tassel were all silver-white.
“Here! Consider it a gift for your Nascent Soul formation, and a congratulatory gift for your marriage to Miss Pei.”
Ye Anping was slightly surprised. He cupped his hands and placed them under the sword. The moment Bai Yuexin released it, the weight of over thirty catties pressed down entirely on his wrist. Bai Yuexin tilted her head up confidently, her eyes firm as she said, “I forged this for you! I used the best heavenly treasures I could get, though I secretly ‘borrowed’ them from Mr. Liu’s treasury… Hehe.”
Ye Anping lowered his head to examine the character “Bai” carved on the sword’s guard, along with the star and moon totem. After a moment of silence, he drew the sword from its scabbard, formed a sword finger, and gently swept it across the blade.
*Buzz—*
The sharp sword cry caused passersby on both sides to stop and look in their direction. Bai Yuexin knew Ye Anping probably had a very good spirit sword. Seeing him carefully appraise this sword, she became a little nervous and asked, with her neck craned, “How… How is it? I actually thought you’d succeed in forming your core before, so I used materials for Nascent Soul stage cultivators. Although it’s not as good as the famous swords Mr. Liu forged, but…”
Ye Anping sheathed the spirit sword, looked up at Bai Yuexin, and said, “It’s sufficient to slay a Nascent Soul demonic cultivator. Thank you.”
“Alas, just tell me the truth. If it’s really not good, you can just put it in your storage bag. I don’t mind. I know you have spirit swords…”
“Elder Sister, you were so confident just now.”
“Confidence is confidence, but… thinking about it, I feel like I’m showing off my skills in front of an expert. I’ve only been learning sword forging for a few years…”
“Honestly, this is indeed a very good spirit sword.”
Bai Yuexin’s eyes lit up, her cheeks flushed. She smiled and said, “As long as you don’t dislike it! Miss Pei returned to the Hundred Lotus Sect a few days ago. You should go back soon too. On the day of the ceremony… can I come to drink to your health?”
“Of course.”
“I haven’t even received an invitation…”
“This matter should be arranged by my mother. I only just returned to Xuan Xing Sect today, and only learned that I’ll be holding a ceremony with Junior Sister. I haven’t had time to send out invitations yet.”
Hearing this, Bai Yuexin exhaled as if a great burden had been lifted. “I thought you had forgotten about me… and wouldn’t send me an invitation.”
“How could I…”
“Then remember, I have to go back to the Sword Pavilion. Otherwise, Mr. Liu will scold me again…”
“Mmm,” Ye Anping nodded. “Mr. Liu’s full name is Liu Dazhu.”
“Ah? That name…”
“He also thinks his name is too common, so he generally doesn’t tell people.”
Bai Yuexin was slightly stunned, then understood and revealed a mischievous smile. “Heh heh… Alright! I’ll remember it.” She hesitated for a moment, then hugged Ye Anping from the front, leaned close to his ear, and said solemnly, “Anping, congratulations on forming your Nascent Soul.”
“Thank you…”
Afterward, Bai Yuexin looked at the position of the bright moon in the sky and quickly summoned her flying sword, stepped onto it, and sped towards the Sword Pavilion on the main peak of Xuan Xing Sect as if she were rushing home to collect laundry.
After Ye Anping watched her leave, he noticed many pedestrians looking at him. He immediately used a spell to conceal his aura and slipped away from the bustling street, heading into a forest outside the marketplace.
Ye Anping drew the sword Bai Yuexin gave him from its scabbard again, then took out the Snow Jade Myriad Spirit Sword from his storage bag and crossed the two swords.
“Hoo—!”
With a forceful shout, Ye Anping’s wrists flicked slightly. A blast of ice-blue spiritual energy erupted, shattering several trees around him in half. However, after the spiritual energy completely dissipated, Bai Yuexin’s spirit sword, though covered in profound ice and frost, showed no signs of breaking. While its foundation and spiritual essence were not comparable to Yun Tianmi’s sword, in terms of toughness and sharpness, this nameless spirit sword was not far behind. He wondered what Bai Yuexin had “borrowed” from Mr. Liu’s treasury… But in terms of sword forging technique, this was definitely top-tier in the Four Domains. How many years had she only been learning sword forging under Mr. Liu… As the saying goes, gold will always shine. Ye Anping had never realized Bai Yuexin’s talent in sword forging was so high, especially since she learned his spiritual needle physiotherapy technique so slowly.
“This is truly unexpected…”
If Si Xuanji hadn’t given her a hint, Bai Yuexin might never have discovered her talent in her entire life? Ye Anping couldn’t help but look up at the stars and moon, searching for the “counter-star” Si Xuanji had told him about. He found that not far from his “counter-star,” a faint star point was now exceptionally bright, emitting a dazzling white-silver light. He knew nothing about star divination and didn’t know the name of that star, but his intuition told him it was likely Bai Yuexin’s destiny star.
“This sword shall be called ‘Bai Yue’.” Ye Anping shrugged, returned the spirit sword to his storage bag, and then stepped onto his flying sword, leisurely heading towards Tianyun Peak of Xuan Xing Sect. It was already the hours of Yin (3-5 AM), and there were no Xuan Xing Sect disciples visible on Tianyun Peak. Most were resting or meditating to condense Qi in the Spirit Gathering Array. However, as he landed in front of the Three-Bay House he shared with Xiao Yunluo and prepared to push open the door.
“Young Master Ye, you’re back?” An aged voice came from behind him. Mr. Qi, with his hands behind his back, descended from the sky on his sword and landed behind Ye Anping, his face serene, his eyes scrutinizing Ye Anping’s attire.
Ye Anping was slightly taken aback, not knowing why Mr. Qi would be looking for him. He immediately cupped his hands in greeting. “Disciple greets Mr. Qi.”
“Come, let’s go inside. This old man needs to have a good chat with you!”
“Uh…” Ye Anping had no reason to refuse. He quickly used his token to open the Three-Bay House’s restriction and led Mr. Qi into the courtyard. The courtyard was dark, with all the doors and windows of the rooms tightly shut, suggesting Xiao Yunluo was likely not present. Ye Anping lit the Spirit Stone Lanterns in the courtyard, brought out some pastries and tea, and invited Mr. Qi to sit at the stone table in the courtyard, curious about the reason for Mr. Qi’s visit.
However, the next moment, Mr. Qi pushed up his cloud sleeves, took a wooden basin from his storage bag, used water stones and fire-elemental spells to prepare a basin of hot water, and placed it in front of him. He then squatted down. “Come… Wash your feet!”
“?” Ye Anping’s eyes widened in shock, thinking he might be hallucinating. “Ah?! Mr. Qi, what are you doing?”
“Alas…” Mr. Qi sighed with a smile, then simply grabbed Ye Anping’s shoe and helped him take it off, and began to immerse his foot in the wooden basin. “Feng Yu Die returned a few days ago and ran to me, telling me you’ve successfully formed your Nascent Soul, all with a mischievous grin on her face.”
“…”
“The other day, that girl and I made a bet. If you managed to form your Nascent Soul, I’d wash your feet personally. So… here I am, hehe…”
“No, no, no…” Ye Anping quickly waved his hands, resisting and pulling his foot out of the basin. “This was just a joke, why would Mr. Qi take it seriously?”
“A gentleman’s word is his bond. I keep my promises…” Mr. Qi knitted his brows and pulled his foot into the basin. “Don’t move around. Washing feet isn’t a big deal… Besides, your feet don’t stink. Stay!”
“Hiss—” Ye Anping hissed, his face filled with embarrassment. His expression stiffened as he looked at Mr. Qi, who was standing in front of him. Finally, as if giving up, he relaxed his body, letting the wrinkled, large hands massage and pat his young, fragrant feet.
Mr. Qi seemed to be enjoying himself, a smile on his face. “In the past thousands of years, you’re the first person to have me personally wash your feet.”
Ye Anping wasn’t sure how to react. “This junior is overwhelmed with gratitude…”
“Hehe… Then be overwhelmed,” Mr. Qi chuckled. “I didn’t expect you to get your spiritual root from Zu Yuan. I’m curious, how did you convince him?”
“It wasn’t really convincing. This junior tried many methods, but I didn’t actually use them. I can only say that the Ancestor likely had some affinity for this junior and bestowed upon me a great opportunity…”
“You’re being modest… Zu Yuan and Dan Yue Shang Xian have always been at odds. You’re a disciple of Xuan Xing Sect, and he would bestow an opportunity upon you based on affinity? I don’t believe it.”
“Uh… there are some hidden details.”
“Inconvenient to tell me?”
“…Inconvenient.”
“Then I won’t ask,” Mr. Qi shook his head and said, “When I spoke to the Sect Master about you earlier, he said he’d agree to let me meet you after you reached Nascent Soul. How about…”
Ye Anping’s face was full of embarrassment. He recalled Si Xuanji groaning beneath him a few days ago and replied, “Yes, after this junior returns from the Hundred Lotus Sect. This junior also needs to prepare.”
“Alright, come find me then. I’ll take you to the Star Pavilion to meet Dan Yue Shang Xian. Dan Yue Shang Xian is practically your… aunt? You and Xiao Girl are about the same, right…”
Ye Anping averted his gaze and nodded. “Mmm…”
“Miss Pei and the others also returned to the Hundred Lotus Sect a few days ago. For your wedding, remember to send me an invitation. I’ll definitely come.”
“Okay…”
“But speaking of Feng Girl…” Mr. Qi lowered his gaze and sighed, as if thinking of something, a hint of melancholy on his face. Then he looked up at Ye Anping. “How much do you know about her Master, Grand Void True Person?”
“Uh… I know about it. Mr. Qi, why are you asking this?”
“To warn you. Mr. Qi raised an eyebrow and took out a cloth from his storage bag to dry Ye Anping’s feet, shaking the water off his hands. “Taixu Zi’s incident back then was partly my fault. If I hadn’t sent her to Jade Void Mountain, she wouldn’t have met that scoundrel Yun Tianchong. Alas…”
Ye Anping blinked, understanding that Mr. Qi likely thought he had some relationship with Feng Yu Die. He immediately replied, “Mr. Qi, I and Senior Sister Feng are not…”
“Heh,” Mr. Qi chuckled, stood up, straightened his cloud sleeves, and stood with his hands behind his back. “Alright… That’s all I needed to say. Head to the Hundred Lotus Sect at sunrise. I won’t stay long; I still need to grade those brats’ exams today.”
“Yes…”
Ye Anping cupped his hands in salute. After watching Mr. Qi fly away on his sword, he lowered his head to look at his feet, which were in his boots, and felt a mix of emotions. Feng Yu Die had already gone to the Hundred Lotus Sect… He couldn’t hide it anymore.
“Alas…” Ye Anping sighed softly and returned to his room. He took out more than twenty blank jade slips, cleared his mind, and began writing invitations for his Dual Cultivation ceremony.
“Senior Sister Bai, Xuanji, Mr. Qi, Aunt Qiu, Elder Lei, Elder Qin… Long Ling, Yiyi and her two sisters, and Sect Master Yun… As for Commander Xu and Xiyue, they are too far away… I’ll write them one by one.”
