Qin Zhiyan was not the only one stunned by these words—even Yun Wan felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her like warm water, heating her face from within.
Xie Tingyun walked slowly to Yun Wan's side with the unhurried grace of someone who knew exactly the effect his presence had. He half-smiled, an expression that somehow managed to be both mocking and protective. "Isn't that so?"
The question hung in the air like a challenge.
Yun Wan couldn't help but lower her head, feeling her ears flush traitorously with heat that spread down her neck. She tried to will the redness away, but her body refused to cooperate.
Xie Tingyun was indeed stunningly beautiful—the kind of beauty that belonged in paintings and legends rather than standing casually beside country roads. But his imposing presence, that aura of contained danger and absolute confidence, made it impossible to notice his delicate features at first glance. The power radiating from him commanded attention before aesthetics ever had a chance.
After a brief moment of surprise—her composure shattering like fine glass before reassembling—Qin Zhiyan regained control of herself. Anger flooded back into her expression with renewed vigor. "I don't care who you are to her. This ugly woman dared to offend my brother, and I will make her pay the price!"
"Really?" Xie Tingyun's voice carried the lazy amusement of a cat watching mice. "I'll look forward to seeing how you make us both pay."
Even though Xie Tingyun hadn't made a single aggressive move, hadn't drawn his sword or even shifted his stance, his aura was already overwhelming—a pressure that pressed against the skin like an approaching storm. The air itself seemed to thicken around him.
Chu Lin, who had been observing this exchange with growing concern, suddenly raised his arm to stop Qin Zhiyan. Facing her bewildered and indignant gaze, Chu Lin gave a slight but meaningful nod. "It was just a misunderstanding. I sincerely hope you will forgive my sister's rudeness."
"Brother..." Qin Zhiyan's voice carried wounded disbelief.
She stamped her foot in frustration, seemingly unwilling to surrender this easily. But Chu Lin interrupted with cold finality, his voice dropping to a tone that brooked no argument. "Ayan, forget it."
Qin Zhiyan, who had always listened to Chu Lin as though his words were divine proclamation, glared at the two strangers with impotent fury. Then, with a final huff of outrage, she turned and walked away, her steps sharp with suppressed anger.
Even as they neared the city gate, having put considerable distance between themselves and the confrontation, Qin Zhiyan remained aggrieved. She complained with the persistence of water dripping on stone, "Brother, why did you stop me? Those two were just low-level cultivators without any impressive backing. Why did we have to endure such humiliation?"
Cultivators of slightly higher levels possessed the ability to discern the spiritual power of others with the naked eye, reading auras like books.
That woman was at best a Qi Refiner—barely past the starting point of cultivation. The man was even worse in terms of detectable power, with barely a trace of spiritual aura visible. Both appeared to be ordinary cultivators without any special abilities or notable techniques. So what was there to fear from such insignificant people?
"Don't forget why we're out here," Chu Lin reminded her, his voice weighted with unspoken implications.
Qin Zhiyan fell silent, understanding dawning in her eyes.
"Be careful when you're out in the world. Appearances can be deceiving." Chu Lin's mind returned to the silver sword Xie Tingyun wore at his waist with such casual possession, and his eyes darkened with troubled contemplation.
Ancient weapons: four swords, five bows, and twelve crossbows.
Of those legendary four swords, only one truly stood out—one that haunted the nightmares of cultivators across generations. The ancient sword manual described it in ominous poetry: At the dawn of chaos, when the world was still forming itself from primordial energy, the evil energy of all things coalesced into a single blade. It fed hungrily on spiritual energy; forged its form with the flesh and blood of the fallen; slashed through the mortal world with contempt; and shattered the very heavens in its rage. This sword was unholy and utterly untamable.
This evil sword had vanished for a full ten thousand years, becoming the stuff of legends parents used to frighten disobedient children. And upon its mysterious reappearance centuries ago, the untamable blade had actually recognized a master—something the ancient texts claimed impossible.
That man, Sui Yuan, remained an enigma wrapped in shadow. His true name was unknown, his origin a mystery that even the most thorough investigators couldn't unravel. At merely sixteen years of age, he had trespassed into the dreaded Wan Ku Mausoleum—a place where even seasoned cultivators feared to tread. Upon his return, though, everyone who encountered him would greet him with respect as Lord Sui Yuan, fear and awe mingled in their voices.
Chu Lin had never seen Sui Yuan's true appearance with his own eyes. After all, the legendary figure had vanished from the cultivation world a hundred years ago without explanation or warning, leaving only stories and speculation behind. But that sword at the stranger's waist looked remarkably, unsettlingly like the evil blade depicted in the fragmented illustrations of the ancient sword manual.
Still, he didn't dare make any rash judgments based on such flimsy evidence—a similarity in appearance, nothing more. After all, many cunning merchants forged convincing replicas of ancient weapons to deceive newly arrived low-level cultivators hungry for power, and there was no guarantee this wasn't simply one of those elaborate fakes.
But still... The thought lingered like smoke he couldn't quite dispel.
After Chu Lin and Qin Zhiyan finally departed, their figures disappearing around a bend in the road, Yun Wan eagerly followed Xie Tingyun back to their temporary camp beneath the trees.
Not daring to disturb the comfortable silence with unnecessary chatter, she pulled a piece of fruit from her storage bag with the nervous energy of a young wife trying to please a temperamental husband. She leaned forward hopefully. "Eat?"
Xie Tingyun glanced at her offering out of the corner of his eye with the barest acknowledgment, then deliberately withdrew his attention, closing his eyes.
The atmosphere between them suddenly became awkward, tension stretching like an invisible thread pulled taut. Yun Wan dug her toes into the ground unconsciously, grasped the rejected fruit with both hands, and bit down hard to cover her embarrassment.
Her teeth struck something unexpectedly hard. Thinking it might be a worm or some other unwelcome surprise, she startled violently and flung the fruit forward without thinking. It sailed through the air in a perfect arc before hitting Xie Tingyun squarely on the forehead with an audible thunk.
"..."
The silence that followed was deafening.
This was definitely not how she'd imagined this scenario playing out.
"Sorry," Yun Wan apologized with wooden formality, her face burning with mortification.
Xie Tingyun, displaying the patience of a saint—or perhaps just extreme exhaustion—clasped his hands around his sword. He leaned back against the tree trunk and closed his eyes for a light nap, apparently deciding that ignoring the fruit assault was the path of least resistance.
The bonfire was nearly burnt out, reduced to glowing embers. Yun Wan busied herself adding firewood, furtively observing Xie Tingyun's expression for any sign of lingering annoyance.
She hesitated for a long moment, gathering courage, before stammering, "Um..."
"Hmm?" The sound emerged lazy, barely interested.
"Thank you for your help earlier." The words tumbled out in a rush.
Xie Tingyun's response came with devastating casualness: "Three high-level spirit stones."
Yun Wan's expression froze completely, her gratitude evaporating. "Huh?"
"Anything other than basic escort services will cost extra."
Fuck.
As expected of him—a completely heartless Didi driver who charged for every minor convenience!
Yun Wan instantly withdrew all her warm feelings, her emotional walls slamming back into place. Turning her back on him, she rummaged through her storage bag with barely suppressed frustration. A quick mental inventory revealed only ten high-level spirit stones remained, and fewer than twenty of the lower-level ones that were barely worth the space they occupied.
Her expression turned calculating as she weighed poverty against pride. "Two, please?" she ventured hopefully.
Xie Tingyun paused for a moment, as if considering the economics. "Yes."
Reluctantly, as though parting with beloved children, Yun Wan handed over the two beautiful spirit stones. They gleamed in her palm one last time before changing hands. But Xie Tingyun merely pointed downward. "Give it to it."
He meant the sword.
Yun Wan said sourly, unable to hide her resentment, "...you're quite nice to it."
"That was absolutely not my intention." Xie Tingyun's tone suggested this was a burden he bore unwillingly.
Yun Wan couldn't quite figure out the full intention behind those cryptic words, but she reasoned that since this boss was so impossibly powerful, his sword must be extraordinary—perhaps even sentient and hungry.
The two precious spirit stones were swallowed up by the peerless sword in mere seconds, absorbed completely as though they'd never existed. The sight made Yun Wan's heart clench with financial pain.
Night was falling rapidly, painting the sky in deepening shades of purple and indigo. She was already bone-tired after a full day of walking and heightened alertness.
Yun Wan took out two sets of spare clothes from her storage bag with practical efficiency—one bundled as a makeshift pillow and the other spread as a thin cover. "Thank you, brother. I'm going to rest now."
"Okay." The single word held permission and dismissal in equal measure.
After receiving that minimal response, she slowly closed her eyes and surrendered to exhaustion.
She didn't sleep very comfortably that night. Her rest was plagued by fragmented dreams that felt more like memories forcing their way to the surface. She dreamed of brutal scenes in the boxing ring—fists connecting with flesh, blood on canvas, the roar of crowds thirsting for violence. Then the scene shifted abruptly to her wedding day, standing humiliated in her bridal dress while jeering voices surrounded her.
The two scenarios overlapped and merged, bleeding into each other until Yun Wan couldn't distinguish between past reality and present nightmare, between this life and the last.
A scorching light suddenly fell from directly above her head, penetrating her eyelids with uncomfortable brightness. The sensation was dazzling and disorienting, finally pulling her up from the depths of troubled sleep.
Yun Wan raised her hand instinctively to block the aggressive sunlight, squinting through half-closed eyes at the new day.
The bonfire beside her had completely burned out, leaving only cold ashes. She looked around with growing panic but didn't immediately see Xie Tingyun anywhere in the small clearing. Her heart jumped.
Did he leave? Did he abandon me here?
Before full-blown panic could set in, she spotted Xie Tingyun leisurely emerging from the woods, looking refreshed and utterly unconcerned.
"Where have you been?" Her voice came out more accusing than she'd intended.
"Washing my face." He stated it as though the answer should have been obvious.
Yun Wan breathed a sigh of relief so profound her shoulders sagged. For a terrifying moment, she'd genuinely thought Xie Tingyun was going to abandon her because of the fruit-throwing incident—that he'd decided she wasn't worth the hassle.
As if somehow hearing her internal monologue, Xie Tingyun said with characteristic bluntness, "Don't worry. I won't run away until you pay me the remaining balance."
Of course. Money. Always money.
"..."
The two packed up their minimal belongings and continued their journey with the rising sun at their backs.
Once they emerged from the oppressive atmosphere of the forest, the surroundings felt noticeably safer—more open, less prone to ambush. Near midday, when the sun hung directly overhead and cast almost no shadows, they officially arrived at the gates of Xuxi City.
Xuxi City sprawled majestically at the foot of Jingshan Mountain, protected by the powerful Wuji Sect whose reputation alone kept most trouble at bay. The city was renowned for being filled with talented cultivators, merchants dealing in rare goods, and craftsmen whose skills bordered on supernatural. The city lord himself was a figure of considerable prestige and power. The city had enjoyed peace and stability for thousands of years—a remarkable achievement in these turbulent times.
As soon as they passed through the imposing gates, a prosperous scene of controlled joy spread out before their eyes like a painted scroll come to life.
Hawkers called out their wares with practiced enthusiasm on both sides of the main street. Monkey trainers performed tricks for delighted children. Jewelry sellers displayed their glittering goods on velvet cloth. The crowds were bustling and energetic, the very picture of urban prosperity.
Since Jingshan Mountain occupied the strategic center of the Five Sacred Mountains, connecting the four cardinal directions like the hub of a great wheel, travelers heading in any direction almost inevitably had to pass through Xuxi City. The local residents had long grown accustomed to seeing strangers from distant lands and didn't subject newcomers to excessive scrutiny or questioning.
Walking deeper into the city, Yun Wan caught a glimpse of civilians gathered around a public notice board, pointing and talking in animated voices. Several cultivators in their distinctive sect uniforms were also present, their serious expressions making it abundantly clear that something significant was happening.
Curiosity kills the cat, she reminded herself. It would have been fine if she hadn't looked, but once her eyes landed on that notice board, she couldn't contain the compulsion to investigate further.
Her own face stared back at her from the wanted poster.
Ancient portraits were admittedly more abstract than photographic representations, but the basic model was there—enough that anyone with a reasonably keen eye could make the connection between the drawing and the real person standing in the crowd.
Yun Wan froze as nearby conversations drifted to her ears:
"I heard this sect leader's daughter injured a fellow disciple quite severely and fled overnight like a common criminal. I don't know if the rumors are entirely true, but where there's smoke..."
"The sect leader is known for his kindness and fair judgment. It's truly a shame he adopted such an ungrateful person who repaid his generosity with betrayal."
"The notice specifically says they can only take her alive, so it looks like she'll be dealt with internally within the sect. Family justice, as it were."
"But this adopted daughter is truly stunning to look at, I must say..."
Yun Wan stood there listening to the gossip, fury building in her chest like a gathering storm.
She'd already thought the original owner's life in the Wuji Sect was difficult enough based on the memories she'd inherited. And it was one thing if her biological father didn't love her, didn't acknowledge her properly. But now they were publicly declaring to the entire cultivation world that she was merely adopted?!
Good, good! Her internal voice dripped with sarcasm. How very convenient. It's a blessing the original owner left this body behind, otherwise seeing this public humiliation would have killed her from sheer rage.
Yun Wan took one final, lingering look at the portrait that supposedly represented her.
She had no illusions about the situation. The Wuji Sect would certainly send disciples to search the city soon, probably within hours. They couldn't afford to stay in Xuxi City any longer than absolutely necessary.
"Brother Xie," she turned to her companion with urgency, "let's quickly pack some supplies and leave this afternoon. What do you think?"
Xie Tingyun shook his head with infuriating calmness. "Today is the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, and the gates of the underworld are wide open. It's strongly not recommended to travel after dark."
At the mere mention of the word "ghost," Yun Wan's entire body erupted in goosebumps. Her skin prickled with instinctive dread. "Then let's definitely stay overnight!"
As she spoke, she frantically looked around for appropriate lodging, her earlier urgency to leave completely overridden by supernatural caution.
Despite her constant worry about depleting their limited funds, she didn't dare stay in some questionable establishment too far from the city center at this critical juncture. Better to spend a bit more for safety and proximity. She selected what appeared to be a reputable inn and walked in with determined steps.
"Welcome, honored guests! Are you stopping by for a quick meal or staying overnight?" The waiter greeted them with professional enthusiasm.
"Give us two rooms and bring up a few dishes of your specialty foods."
The waiter rubbed his hands together, his expression shifting to one of apologetic embarrassment. "I'm terribly sorry, sir, but all the rooms are already reserved for tonight. At present, there's only one guest room left available."
Yun Wan fell silent for a moment, processing this information. Then she said with barely concealed skepticism, "I see your establishment isn't particularly crowded at this moment. With dozens of rooms across multiple floors, it seems statistically impossible that not even one additional room is available, don't you think?"
The waiter's expression became earnest. "Young lady, you're not aware of the local situation. Every year on the fifteenth of the seventh month, it's the time when ghosts parade through the mortal realm. To prevent harm from malevolent spirits, the major sects send their disciples to guard various strategic locations throughout the city. There are indeed a few empty rooms upstairs, but they've all been reserved exclusively for those sect disciples. If you absolutely require two separate rooms, you're welcome to inquire at other establishments—they might still have availability."
But Zuihualou was widely known as the largest and most prestigious restaurant in all of Xuxi City. If they couldn't secure rooms here, the chances of finding them elsewhere were essentially nonexistent.
Yun Wan had no choice but to accept reality. She reserved that single remaining room, handed over the required copper coins with a grimace, and returned to join Xie Tingyun at their table.
Xie Tingyun, seemingly oblivious to her housing struggles, sipped his tea with elegant care. His fingers were slender and smooth, the kind of hands that belonged to scholars or artists, and the plain porcelain cup only served to emphasize the distinct bones and refined structure beneath pale skin.
Seeing Yun Wan's gloomy expression as she sat down heavily, he easily guessed something had gone wrong. "Are there not enough rooms available?"
"They claim everything's fully booked." Her tone carried resigned defeat.
The waiter efficiently brought out the first wave of side dishes—fragrant and beautifully arranged.
Yun Wan picked up her chopsticks and carefully observed Xie Tingyun's expression from beneath her lashes, searching for any sign of concern or discomfort. Seeing nothing that suggested displeasure, she ventured cautiously, "We'll just have to share for one night."
Fearing Xie Tingyun might harbor concerns about propriety or safety, Yun Wan quickly added with her most trustworthy expression, "Don't worry, I absolutely won't do anything inappropriate to you."
Xie Tingyun's gaze slid over to meet hers, his expression utterly cryptic. "What?"
The single word carried layers of meaning she couldn't quite parse.
Yun Wan choked on her own assumptions, gulping down hot tea to cover her embarrassment.
During their meal, a group of three to five cultivators approached the restaurant entrance. Several of them wore the distinctive traditional uniforms of the Wuji Sect—instantly recognizable to anyone familiar with the major sects.
The leader of the group was undeniably handsome, though his attractiveness was somewhat undermined by an aura of practiced slickness—the kind that came from knowing his looks opened doors and using that knowledge shamelessly.
Yun Wan felt vaguely, disturbingly familiar with him. After a long moment of intense contemplation while chewing her food, she couldn't help but burp—an unfortunate sound that emerged at precisely the wrong moment.
Hearing the inelegant noise, the handsome cultivator shot her a look of pure disgust, his lip curling.
Yun Wan quickly averted her gaze and turned her face away, feeling deeply uneasy as recognition finally clicked into place.
Chu Tiancheng.
The original owner's former fiancé—the one who'd humiliated her publicly.
And he clearly hadn't left the city yet!
"It looks like we can't locate Yun Wan in the immediate area anymore. We'll just have to focus on capturing that demon beast first and bringing it back to report to His Majesty." One of the Wuji Sect disciples spoke casually, his voice carrying easily in the quiet restaurant.
The three of them continued chatting as they ascended the stairs, their figures quickly disappearing around the corner and out of sight.
Yun Wan's appetite evaporated completely. She had no desire to continue eating, her stomach churning with anxiety. She quietly ordered the waiter to prepare some hot water, intending to return to the room for a bath and proper rest before leaving at first light tomorrow.
Just get through tonight, she told herself. Tomorrow you'll be far away from here.
Their assigned room was surprisingly spacious, with good natural light and decent furnishings. However, the bed was disappointingly small—just right for one person sleeping comfortably, but noticeably cramped for two bodies.
Seeing that Xie Tingyun remained motionless, apparently waiting for her to make the decision, Yun Wan offered with forced magnanimity, "Brother Xie, you take the bed. I'll sleep on the floor tonight."
Then, feeling he might feel awkward about the arrangement or guilty about taking the comfortable option, she added quickly, "Brother Xie, don't be overly polite about it. Really, I don't mind."
"Okay." He accepted without a moment's hesitation.
...
He was truly, spectacularly unceremonious about it.
The waiter and his assistants quickly had a bathtub filled with steaming water, the surface rippling invitingly. Xie Tingyun, displaying admirable tact, didn't linger awkwardly in the room. He tactfully excused himself and left.
Yun Wan carefully locked the door behind him, double-checking the mechanism. She made absolutely certain no one was approaching from the corridor before finally undressing and sinking into the bath with a sigh of profound relief.
Perhaps because it was the ominous fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, the usually bustling streets fell eerily silent well before the traditional twilight hour. When the sun finally completed its descent and vanished below the horizon, the entire city fell into an unnatural, oppressive silence—the kind of quiet that pressed against your eardrums.
Yun Wan had requested that the innkeeper send up an extra quilt. She spread out a makeshift sleeping mat on the floor at the foot of the bed, arranged her clothes as a pillow, and soon drifted into exhausted sleep.
She fell asleep, but not completely—not into that deep, vulnerable state of true rest.
Half-asleep and half-aware, hovering in that strange liminal space, she heard the faint sound of footsteps approaching. Yun Wan had been a professional boxer in her previous life, and that training had left her with heightened instincts. Her consciousness remained more alert than an average person's, even during sleep, attuned to potential threats.
As the footsteps drew closer—slow, deliberate, wrong somehow—Yun Wan's body reacted before her conscious mind fully processed the danger. She instinctively grabbed at the approaching figure's feet and yanked hard, pulling them off balance.
Then, moving with practiced efficiency, she covered the intruder's head completely with her quilt and climbed on top to pin them down. She delivered two solid punches to the head without hesitation or mercy.
"How dare you?!" she hissed with genuine outrage. "You're brave enough to come steal from me?!"
Damn it, doesn't this thief realize how poor I am?! And they still dare to try robbing me in the middle of the night?!
Hearing the commotion, Xie Tingyun pulled aside the bed curtains with one elegant hand.
His eyes were perfectly clear—no trace of sleep or confusion—as he silently observed Yun Wan, who continued raining down blows on the struggling figure beneath her. After she showed no signs of stopping for an uncomfortably long time, he finally commented with mild curiosity, "Are you absolutely certain it's a thief?"
Yun Wan's hands froze mid-swing as the words penetrated her fury.
She suddenly realized something was fundamentally, terribly wrong with this entire scenario.
Even if a thief possessed extraordinary boldness, they shouldn't—wouldn't—choose to come out stealing on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, would they? That was the night when the boundary between the living and dead grew thin, when spirits walked freely. What criminal would risk encountering something far worse than angry victims?
So... this meant... perhaps...
Oh no.
The terrible possibility crystallized in her mind with horrifying clarity.
Thinking of this, Yun Wan slowly, tremblingly lifted the edge of the quilt and looked beneath it with mounting dread.
The "woman" pinned beneath her body had disheveled hair that hung in matted clumps. Her facial features were grotesquely distorted, stretched in ways human flesh shouldn't move. Most disturbingly, one of her eyeballs had been completely knocked loose from its socket by Yun Wan's enthusiastic punches. It lay on the floor like a particularly disturbing marble, yet somehow still seemed to be staring directly at Yun Wan with accusatory intensity.
If I'm not mistaken, Yun Wan's mind supplied with hysterical calm, this should be... a ghost.
The demonic spirit smiled at her—a cold, utterly inhuman expression that made every hair on Yun Wan's body stand on end. Her scalp prickled with primal terror.
Operating on pure panic instinct, Yun Wan quickly picked up the displaced eyeball from the floor. "No, sorry!" she said with forced cheerfulness, her voice shaking only slightly. "I accidentally messed up your eye makeup in the dark. Don't worry at all—I'll fix it for you right away!"
Although she projected confidence, internally she was screaming—
I was so thoughtlessly brave that I actually hit a GHOST on the head! Multiple times! With considerable force!
Overwhelmed with nervousness and trembling hands, Yun Wan fumbled as she tried to reinsert the eyeball. She accidentally pressed it into the wrong socket entirely.
The eyes that had been fixed so intently on her suddenly became horrifically cross-eyed, staring inward at each other in a way that would have been comical under different circumstances.
"No, sorry..." Yun Wan's scalp tingled with fresh horror.
She desperately dug the eyeball back out—an experience she would never forget and desperately wished she could—and attempted to press it back in properly this time. But her nerves made her use far too much force.
The eyeball exploded in her hand like an overripe grape, coating her fingers in something she absolutely did not want to identify.
She looked at the demon ghost's face, now with only one functioning eye.
Then looked down at the shattered, leaking eyeball remnants in her hand.
Then back at the ghost.
"..."
Wuhu~! Her mind provided unhelpfully, the internal scream echoing through her consciousness.
I'm going to die. I'm definitely going to die. This is how it ends.
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