Chapter 2: Journey to Kunlun Sect

 

Yun Wan sat beneath a sprawling tree, her legs folded neatly, waiting for her “Didi driver”… no, her lavishly hired bodyguard. The minutes dragged, and her unease grew heavier with every passing second.

She thought she felt the wind stir, leaves brushing softly against her shoulders, their rustling like the cries of a ghost or a newborn. Her heart thumped violently—this was not her world; a single misstep could be fatal.

Gripping the dagger at her waist, she glanced nervously at the glass mirror.
“[Cultivator, don’t worry. Your guardian is galloping toward you, approximately eighty miles away.]”

Eighty miles? And he had only managed twenty so far? Yun Wan couldn’t believe it. Even in this dignified world of cultivation, progress could be so painfully slow.

Then, a voice drifted to her ears, eerie and inhuman. The dense foliage made it impossible to tell its source. Clutching her dagger to her chest, she held her breath, senses straining for the slightest movement.

All fell silent. Then the sound approached—a soft, intermittent cry. A baby?

Plop. A sticky drop landed on her shoulder.

Yun Wan slowly lifted her head.

The beast before her was colossal, grotesque—a goat-like body with a human face, claws like a tiger, three unnervingly glowing eyes beneath each armpit. All six eyes locked on her, and her limbs froze. One thought dominated her mind:

This is it. I’m going to die!

The monster opened its bloody maw, a primal hunger evident. Yun Wan raised her dagger, ready to strike, but the creature’s eyes suddenly darted past her. Its gaze caught something horrifying behind her.

Fear overtook its ferocity. The neck shrank, the claws retreated, and the monstrous figure shrank in submission, tail tucked, and scurried into the shadows without a backward glance.

Yun Wan blinked, stunned, until a familiar ding rang behind her. The glass mirror had a notification.

Turning around, she saw him. Branches and leaves created a dense shadow, yet the man standing beyond them seemed to carry his own light, eclipsing everything around him. The terrifying beasts of before now seemed no larger than ants.

The man’s aura was immense and chilling. Yun Wan instinctively stepped back, her gaze fixed, heart racing.

He emerged fully from the darkness—black hair tied simply, robe plain but elegant, tall and graceful, every movement measured and deadly. A silver sword gleamed in his hand. His gaze was cold, indifferent, yet commanding.

“Escort?”

At the word, realization struck Yun Wan, and tension melted from her shoulders. This was the bodyguard she had ordered. The moment he appeared, even the monstrous beasts had fled. She couldn’t help but admire him. He exuded power and authority.

“Yes… Ding—no,” she corrected herself quickly. “I… I was stranded here by accident. My cultivation is low, and I need an escort. My name is Wanwan. What is your name, sir?”

His tone remained cool and measured. “My last name is Xie Tingyun.”

Xie Tingyun. The name alone carried elegance, like the calm of a flowing river.

“I think we should get going. This place… is… spooky,” Yun Wan stammered, still shivering.

He remained still, silent, deliberate.

Yun Wan, quick to read him, pressed on, “Fellow Daoist, please, feel free to negotiate the price… as long as I can afford it.”

Still, he said nothing, only regarding her with those icy, unreadable eyes, as if weighing her very soul.

Yun Wan touched the storage bag hidden in her sleeve and carefully counted aloud, "Five spirit stones?"

Xie Tingyun's voice cut through the air: "Where are you going?"

Where? Yun Wan hadn't fully thought it through.

Her first thought was escape—avoiding capture by the Wuji Sect. Her second was finding a powerful sect to study under. Even if ascending to the Immortal Realm was impossible, reaching the Golden Core stage would suffice. That way, no one could bully her.

But across the Eight Desolate Lands, Five Mountains, and Thirty-Nine Continents, countless sects dotted the land. Even novels only gave limited information. She had no idea which were reliable.

Yun Wan’s eyes flicked to Xie Tingyun.

This man had scared off monsters without lifting a finger; his master must be formidable.

"Could I ask where fellow Daoist Xie learned his skills?" she inquired.

"My master is from all over the world," he replied calmly.

"...Ah. I see," Yun Wan thought. A casual cultivator, then. "Do you know any sects accepting disciples? I want to learn from a powerful one."

Xie Tingyun glanced at her, cool and indifferent. "Difficult."

"...Shit!" Yun Wan bit her lip. Was this man mocking her? But she remained good-tempered.

Suddenly, a memory from the novel surfaced: "In the south, there’s Kunlun, and in the north, Jingyue." These were the most advanced sects. Yun Wan didn’t want to cross paths with Chu Lin, the male protagonist. After careful deliberation, she decided on Kunlun.

As a leader of the four major sects, Kunlun was tolerant. They accepted sword and alchemy practitioners, as well as talisman and sound cultivation disciples. Yun Wan believed in her potential—if she couldn’t wield a sword, why not try something else? And if all else failed, she could return to her roots.

"I’ve decided to go to Kunlun. Fellow Daoist, could you escort me?"

"Sure," Xie Tingyun nodded. "It’ll cost extra."

Yun Wan groaned. "How much?"

"Ask it," he said, flicking his sleeves. The longsword levitated gracefully. Yun Wan’s eyes widened.

The blade was exquisite, etched with patterns resembling a nebula and a moon, radiating spiritual energy even before being drawn.

"This sword is stunning. What’s its name?"

"Peerless Sword," Xie Tingyun replied coldly.

"I know it’s the Peerless Sword. I’m asking its name," she said.

His brows twitched. With a hint of impatience, he repeated, "Peerless Sword."

"Ah, I..."

Xie Tingyun cut her off, matter-of-fact: "Its name is the Peerless Sword."

Yun Wan fell silent. Awkwardness hung between them.

"Five spirit stones, shall we go?" she asked politely.

The sword remained unmoved.

Patiently, she raised the price. "Eight? Ten should be fine, right? I have high-grade spirit stones from Holy Spirit Mountain."

Before leaving, the original owner had gifted her abundant spirit stones and talisman paper. Ten was steep, but acceptable.

Finally, the Peerless Sword responded. Unsheathing, the blade shimmered, revealing faint dark purple markings.

So beautiful… Yun Wan felt a pang of longing. If her physique allowed, she might become a sword cultivator. Traveling the world with a longsword on her back—it would be thrilling.

Quickly, she paid three spirit stones as a deposit. The sword devoured them with swipes, then hid its blade and settled at her feet.

"What's this?" she asked Xie Tingyun.

"I'll let you get on," he said flatly.

Get on? How? Yun Wan pondered—sit sideways, stand, or straddle?

Standing was unstable. Sideways risked a fall. After deliberation, she lifted her skirt, straddled the sword, and patted the empty space in front. "You too."

Xie Tingyun and the Peerless Sword: "..."

The sword had existed for tens of thousands of years but had never seen such audacity.

Xie Tingyun sighed softly, pulled Yun Wan by her collar, and offered his sleeve. "Hold on."

Her hand met his—icy, yet the air from his palm flowed into her, filling her with comfort.

"The sleeve," he muttered.

Blushing, Yun Wan adjusted her grip.

With a controlled push, Xie Tingyun helped her onto the sword. Before he could fully stabilize, the sword shot into the sky. Had Yun Wan not been a former boxer, she might have fainted. She struggled to keep her eyes open.

The view shocked her. The sky stretched boundlessly, stars and moon coexisting, and the mountains’ spiritual breath subtly visible.

"Where is this place?"

"You said you were stranded here, yet you don’t know where?" Xie Tingyun studied her carefully.

"...I was kidnapped here," Yun Wan admitted. In a world of cultivation, righteous sects and evil villains coexisted. Kidnapping for essence-sucking was common.

"This is Gouwu Mountain," Xie Tingyun said calmly.

"That… monster just now?" she asked.

"The Roe Owl. It eats people," he replied playfully. "And your kidnapper? The Roe Owl."

Gouwu Mountain, north of Jingshan Mountain, held the most powerful dragon veins. While abundant in spiritual energy, it also bred horrifying beasts. Only Jindan-stage cultivators dared tread here.

Xie Tingyun didn’t question her further. Once they left Gouwu Mountain, he swung two men aside with his sword, unwilling to let them linger even a moment.

He landed with grace. Yun Wan, however, stumbled several steps before regaining balance.

Rubbing her sprained waist, she asked, "Can’t we just go directly to Kunlun Sect?"

"Different price," Xie Tingyun replied, sheathing his sword.

Three question marks appeared above Yun Wan’s head. "Didn’t we agree on ten spirit stones?"

"We’ll split it 30/70. Thirty is for this section; seventy for the journey to Kunlun. Direct flight? One thousand high-grade spirit stones."

Swindler! Yun Wan couldn’t help flipping him off.

Xie Tingyun blinked, curious. "What does that mean?"

"Concern," she said.

He pondered, then imitated her gesture. "You’re welcome."

Flushing, Yun Wan’s anger trapped in her chest, muttered, "Walking? I can manage..."

"No need," she added, tossing her sleeves aside. "Walking is good. Exercise."

Xie Tingyun let out a soft sigh, a hint of regret hidden beneath his calm exterior.

He put away his sword and slowly followed Yun Wan.

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