Seeing Yuè'er Again

The five people approaching them had come down from the mountaintop. Three of them had met Duàn Yì before.

One was naturally Miss Yuè'er, with her exquisite, beautiful features and extraordinary background. Behind her on either side stood Granny An, whose martial arts were formidable and who was deeply connected to Yuè'er, and the square-faced old man.

As for the other two, they were likely disciples of the Golden Cauldron Sect.

The one in a light green skirt was a girl with curved dark brows and a delicate oval face. A pale blue gemstone earring hung from her right ear. She looked around seventeen or eighteen, yet her figure was already voluptuous enough to make Yuè'er, still flat as a board, feel ashamed of herself.

The other looked about Duàn Yì's age. He wore fitted martial attire and carried himself with immense arrogance, though his appearance was rather ordinary: protruding ears, thick lips, and several pimples on his face. Fortunately, he had a pair of lively eyes, making him barely passable overall.

The moment Helan Yue'er stepped down from the mountain walkway, she saw Duàn Yì, whom she had often dreamed of these past days. Startled and delighted, she could not help calling out.

She then realized she had been far too forward. Her heart pounded wildly, a faint blush stained her cheeks, and she felt as though everyone around her was watching. She grabbed the corner of Granny An's clothes and lowered her little head, unconsciously kicking at the pebbles beneath her feet. She was utterly different from the willful girl Duàn Yì had first met.

Aside from the two elders who had crossed paths with Duàn Yì, the others were indeed greatly surprised. They had no idea how Helan Yue'er had come to know Duàn Yì.

"Junior Brother Duàn, you know Yuè'er?"

A faint glint flashed through Zhào Yù's eyes before vanishing. He smiled, but the veins on his right hand, hidden behind his back, bulged as he clenched it tightly. His nails dug into his flesh, yet he felt no pain. Clearly, his heart was anything but calm.

As a clever man, a sensitive man, Zhào Yù had already sensed something ominous from Yuè'er's reaction upon meeting Duàn Yì. Since he harbored other intentions, he naturally found it difficult to accept.

"How could that be? Duàn Yì is merely a ruined nobody with nowhere else to turn, who came up the mountain to seek relatives. Why would he have any connection with Yuè'er? And Yuè'er even..."

Thinking of how he had fawned over and indulged Helan Yue'er in every possible way, only to be outdone by a mere brat, Zhào Yù felt endless fury and frustration rise within him. It was as if venomous snakes were gnawing at him, leaving him restless and unbearably tormented.

He even wanted to draw his sword at once and kill Duàn Yì, venting the hatred and grievance in his heart.

But even if he could not endure it, he had to. At the very least, he remembered that Duàn Yì might have learned the Invincible Treasure Codex, and that behind him stood the ceiling of the Golden Cauldron Sect's fighting strength. For now, it was unwise to offend him.

"Oh, before coming up the mountain, I happened to meet Miss Yuè'er in Daming County. We can be considered friends."

Zhào Yù concealed his feelings deeply. Duàn Yì naturally had no idea what the other man was thinking, much less could he guess that a man in his twenties would harbor improper thoughts toward a girl of barely twelve or thirteen. He smiled brightly as he spoke.

He had thought that heaven and earth were vast, and that meeting again would be exceedingly difficult. Yet only a few days had passed before they reunited on the mountain. They truly had some fate between them.

What puzzled him more was why Yuè'er was among the Golden Cauldron Sect. Could she also be a disciple of the Golden Cauldron Sect?

That could not be right. He had heard clearly that day that the square-faced old man held no affection for Qū Dōng Liú.

"So this little bastard really isn't called Husband—his surname is Duàn. That scoundrel still took advantage of me. How embarrassing."

Yuè'er had been pricking up her adorable little ears to eavesdrop on Zhào Yù and Duàn Yì. When she caught the words "Junior Brother Duàn," she abruptly raised her head. Her black-and-white eyes stared straight at Duàn Yì, filled with both anger and shyness, yet a different kind of sweetness stirred in her heart.

Before she knew it, the pink on her cheeks had spread to her earlobes, as though someone had brushed them with dye, making her especially eye-catching.

Granny An and the square-faced old man exchanged a glance, equally puzzled. They could not understand why the youth they had encountered by chance that day had appeared within the Golden Cauldron Sect, nor why he was chatting so cheerfully with Qū Dōng Liú's most valued and trusted disciple.

What astonished them even more was that, several days ago, Duàn Yì had possessed nothing but the hand technique Minor Capturing Hand and had no foundation whatsoever. Yet now he was full of spirit and vigor, clearly having stepped onto the path of internal arts and becoming a true martial artist.

Such talent and fortune were both exceptionally outstanding.

"Hmph, Senior Brother Zhào, judging by how he's dressed, he doesn't seem to be from the mountain. Who exactly is he?"

While everyone was wrapped up in their own thoughts, the youth around Duàn Yì's age gave a cold snort. He cast Duàn Yì a sidelong glance, jealousy flashing in his eyes as he asked in displeasure.

Just a boy toy, dressed in such ragged clothes. How had Yuè'er come to know someone like him?

Clearly, this youth was also one of Yuè'er's admirers. But compared to Zhào Yù's easy grace and handsome looks, he was somewhat unpresentable. Worse, he had no depth at all; his dislike for Duàn Yì was practically written across his face.

The girl in the green skirt, however, was rather curious about Duàn Yì. Pinching the earring at her right ear, she blinked her lively eyes, looking from Duàn Yì to the shy and adorable Yuè'er. She covered her mouth and smiled, as though she had understood.

There were not many female disciples in the Golden Cauldron Sect. In recent days, she was probably the only one who had grown close to Yuè'er and gotten along with her.

Even Zhào Yù, famed for his handsome and dashing appearance, paled in comparison before the poorly dressed Duàn Yì. She roughly understood why Helan Yue'er behaved this way in his presence.

When a young maiden's heart first stirred, no complicated reason was needed. Perhaps a single glance was enough to set the heartstrings trembling.

And without a doubt, Duàn Yì possessed the qualities to make any woman in the world fall in love at first sight.

"Let me introduce him. This is Junior Brother Duàn, Duàn Yì. He is a distant relative of Uncle Bái Xī Wén and came up the mountain only a few days ago. Though he has not formally joined our sect, Uncle Bái has taught him martial arts, and his future prospects are immeasurable.

Just now, I was showing Junior Brother Duàn around the mountain."

Zhào Yù was quite deep-minded. Facing the youth's seemingly dissatisfied question, he smiled slightly and dissolved the awkwardness. He introduced Duàn Yì to everyone in an especially friendly manner, not deliberately targeting him despite the turmoil in his heart moments ago.

He then turned to introduce the five of them to Duàn Yì.

"As for these people, the younger one is Miss Helan Yue'er, my master's niece and the cherished pearl in the Helan Family's palm.

This is Granny An, and this is Eunuch Qiu. They are experts of the Helan Family and Miss Yuè'er's personal guards. Even my master never stops praising their martial arts; they are seniors of the martial world.

These two are the personal disciples of Uncle Liu Zhiwei, our sect's vice sect master: Junior Sister Leng Qingmei and Junior Brother Ruan Dong."

After Zhào Yù introduced both sides, their thoughts underwent entirely different changes, especially Duàn Yì's.

He had never imagined that Yuè'er not only came from such an illustrious family, but was also related to Qū Dōng Liú. He could not help losing focus for a moment.

But he quickly returned to normal, revealing no hint of it to those around him.

In sentiment and in name, Qū Dōng Liú was his enemy. They might not be enemies who could not live beneath the same sky, but reconciliation would not come easily either.

Duàn Yì lacked the strength now, so naturally he would not entertain fantasies of revenge. But once he gained strength in the future, he might well act—perhaps for his mother, perhaps for Elder Sister Yue, who had shown him such profound kindness.

And no matter whom it was for, when that day came, he and Helan Yue'er would likely find it difficult to remain friends.

Fortunately, he was still too weak to need to think so far ahead.

Upon hearing that Duàn Yì studied martial arts under Bái Xī Wén, Granny An and Eunuch Qiu felt much of their confusion dissipate.

They had heard of Bái Xī Wén's great name. His formidable power in the Invincible Treasure Codex shook an entire region, and he was a renowned powerhouse in Hebei. Even with their own pride and confidence, they had to acknowledge his strength.

Most frightening of all, Bái Xī Wén was still young, only thirty-three this year. What the future held for him was impossible to estimate.

With such a master guiding him, coupled with Duàn Yì's exceptional talent, it was not unreasonable for him to have reached the path of internal arts in such a short time.

"What? He's Uncle Bái's distant relative? And he's learning martial arts from Uncle Bái?"

Hearing this, Ruan Dong could not help falling into a daze. His gaze toward Duàn Yì turned complicated, carrying both envy and jealousy.

His family were wealthy merchants in Wei Prefecture. Back then, they had spent a great deal to send him up the mountain to learn martial arts.

Ruan Dong had wanted to directly enter the tutelage of the Golden Cauldron Sect's greatest expert, Bái Xī Wén, and learn profound martial arts. Unfortunately, Bái Xī Wén had never accepted disciples and had never made an exception for anyone. Thus, Ruan Dong could only settle for second best and become Liu Zhiwei's disciple.

Yet Duàn Yì had effortlessly obtained what he desired, filling his heart with envy, jealousy, and hatred.

At the same time, however, his previous contempt and disdain for Duàn Yì changed greatly. Bái Xī Wén was the master he admired and worshipped most; Duàn Yì, having been trained by Bái Xī Wén, could not possibly be an ordinary mediocrity.