Yun Xi's Decision

Day 25, morning, deep in Yan Mountain, the Yun Family's Sword Carp Dragon Pool.

Beside the White marble platform by the pool, Yun Xi extended her delicate hand, pinched up several "fish pellets" gleaming with a metallic luster from the jade urn beside her, and casually scattered them into the Sword Carp Pool.

Splash—

The ripples on the surface stirred faintly. Three long-bodied Sword Carp with dazzling, flowing scales suddenly closed in, ramming and shoving against one another as they bit and tore fiercely.

Yun Xi gazed down at the water, her expression focused. A rare trace of anticipation surfaced on her clear, beautiful face.

The Sword Carp in this Carp Dragon Pool had been nurtured with Sword Intent by her grandfather, Yun Sheng. Every one of them was extraordinary and wondrous.

If she could win the recognition of even one of them, then at the upcoming National Martial University Exchange Tournament—not the Freshman Competition—she would have several more cards up her sleeve as the newly appointed captain of the "Azure Cloud" school team.

Thus, despite having been on break for nearly a month, she had spent all her time here, even skipping the school team's training camp.

Seeing the struggle in the water grow fiercer, she lightly drew her fingernail across her index finger.

A drop of bright red blood fell silently, landing precisely at the center of the three Sword Carp's struggle.

Yet the moment the blood spread through the water, the three Sword Carp seemed to have encountered their natural nemesis. Their fight abruptly ceased. With a flick of their tails, they transformed into three streaks of light and vanished into the deep water, disappearing in an instant.

Yun Xi's brows drew together slightly. She let out a soft sigh and murmured, her disappointment impossible to conceal, "Still no good..."

At her ear, a gentle middle-aged woman's voice arrived at just the right moment. "Xiao Xi, don't lose heart."

"Your grandfather only subdued 'Cloud Abyss' after reaching the Third Order back then."

"You're only at the First Order now. There's no need to hurry. Take it slowly."

"Grandma, you don't need to comfort me..." Yun Xi realized that her grandmother was using a Telepathic Message to speak to her in secret, and the bitterness in her heart deepened.

"Grandfather subdued a 'Dragon Sword' back then. But now, I can't even communicate with an ordinary 'Fish Sword'..."

"..."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the Telepathic Message. It seemed that even she felt this consolation was somewhat pale and weak.

Her own granddaughter was good in every way. It was just that her competitive streak was too strong—and she insisted on competing with that monstrous grandfather of hers.

Sword Immortal Yun Sheng was the only "Proximity to the Dao Body" to appear since the Abyss descended, the youngest Martial Immortal in the Hua Nation, firmly seated at second place within the nation and ranking among the top three peak existences in the world.

In the fifty years since Yun Sheng had risen to fame, prodigies had emerged one after another, yet not a single person had truly surpassed him in talent and achievement.

Of all people, why did she have to compete with her own grandfather?

Moreover... Yun Xi's talent was not considered top-tier among her generation of the Yun Family, much less among the younger generation throughout the imperial capital.

Never mind her grandfather's astonishingly gifted last disciple, Shen Yaochi—even that little wolf cub from the Zhang Family, Zhang Pengcheng, surpassed her by a head in terms of martial aptitude.

With such lofty aspirations, this child had it hard...

About a li from the Carp Dragon Pool, atop the mountain peak's Sword Pavilion.

The Old Madam Yun gazed into the distance from the railing, watching the clouds and mist coil and shift through the mountains. Her eyes were full of affection, mixed with a trace of helplessness.

"All right, all right, don't overthink it. That little girl has been kneeling for more than an hour. Deal with her first." She sent another Telepathic Message over.

By the Carp Dragon Pool, Yun Xi gave a slight nod and withdrew her gaze from the water.

She turned around. Her obsidian-like eyes calmly settled on Jiang Yao, who was kneeling before her.

Jiang Yao seemed to sense the gaze. Her slightly thin body trembled almost imperceptibly, and she lowered her head even further.

"Jiang Yao," Yun Xi said in a flat, emotionless voice, "do you know what you did wrong?"

Jiang Yao's body shook violently. The gaze hidden beneath her bangs flashed with venom, only to be swiftly covered by even deeper fear.

Her voice carried a sobbing note as she pleaded in a soft, timid murmur, "I... I know..."

Yun Xi feigned confusion. "Oh? What did you do wrong?"

Jiang Yao bit down hard on her lower lip, her nails nearly digging into her palms. In her heart, she had already cursed Yun Xi and Jiang Xue thousands of times.

Bitches! Bitches! Every one of them was a bitch!

Jiang Xue was a bitch! Yun Xi was a bitch too!

A crisp slap suddenly rang out, especially jarring beside the empty pool.

Yun Xi's strike was fast and heavy, utterly unexpected and carrying all her strength.

Jiang Yao was sent spinning like a top before crashing to the ground with a "thump." Her left cheek rapidly swelled red before the naked eye, the corner of her mouth splitting open and oozing a glaring thread of blood.

She covered her burning cheek and stared at Yun Xi in disbelief, her eyes filled with terror and bewilderment.

"I don't like the look in your eyes just now." Yun Xi shook her hand as if dusting off something filthy, her voice icy. "Recognize your place, Jiang Yao."

That slap had stunned Jiang Yao—and brought her back to her senses.

She immediately knelt properly again, forcing herself to endure the searing pain in her face. Supporting herself with both hands on the ground, she lowered her head and dared not reveal the slightest trace of resentment.

"Answer me." Yun Xi's voice was indifferent. "What did you do wrong?"

"I..." Jiang Yao's tightly clenched fists trembled slightly. She tried to make her voice sound weak and pitiful while desperately suppressing the hatred surging in her heart. "I shouldn't have... shouldn't have taken advantage of Brother Zheng..."

"Heh..." Yun Xi let out a disdainful scoff. "Since you know now, don't do it again."

"All right, go back. Take good care of Xiao Zheng."

Jiang Yao breathed a sigh of relief as though pardoned by heaven, and her thoughts began stirring again.

She raised her head and blinked her moist eyes, speaking timidly. "Sister, she didn't mean to..."

Yun Xi seemed to have heard a joke. The corner of her mouth lifted slightly, but her voice suddenly turned cold as she mercilessly cut Jiang Yao off. "What? After taking advantage of Yun Zheng, you want to take advantage of me now too?"

"N-no... I wouldn't dare..." Jiang Yao shuddered in fright and instantly flattened herself against the ground, her forehead pressed tightly to the cold White marble.

Yun Xi looked coldly at the humble figure on the ground, her emotions showing not the slightest ripple.

"Go."

"Yes... yes..."

Jiang Yao forced herself up from the ground, answering in a soft murmur. With her head lowered, she backed away from Yun Xi for more than a dozen steps before daring to turn around. She almost staggered as she "fled" from the Carp Dragon Pool.

Only after Jiang Yao's figure had completely disappeared around the bend in the mountain path did an elegant, dignified middle-aged beauty in a plain, graceful gown appear soundlessly beside Yun Xi.

"Grandma~" Yun Xi was startled. She then hooked her arm around the woman's arm reproachfully. "You do this every time. You always appear out of nowhere and scare me."

The Old Madam Yun lovingly stroked her granddaughter's smooth, long hair, but her gaze remained sharp as she looked toward the direction in which Jiang Yao had vanished. "That little girl harbors no small amount of ill will toward you. Why keep her by your side?"

A trace of helplessness appeared on Yun Xi's face. "What can I do? Xiao Zheng likes her. She's got that child completely wrapped around her finger. If I acted against her now, wouldn't I drive Xiao Zheng away from me for no reason? It won't be too late to deal with her once he's tired of her."

The Old Madam Yun smiled, a hint of teasing in her expression. "That's not the only reason, is it? You haven't given up on that boy from the Gu Family, have you? You keep his wife's younger sister by your side—what are you planning?"

A blush immediately spread across Yun Xi's cheeks, but she quickly returned to her calm expression. "Just a spare move. Perhaps it might come in handy someday."

"You..." The Old Madam Yun tapped her granddaughter's delicate nose, her tone helpless yet indulgent.

The grandmother and granddaughter quietly leaned against each other for a moment before Yun Xi suddenly spoke. "Grandma, I understand Liang Qiushi's personality, and I also know just how crazily Jiang Xue... loves Gu Jinzhi! I originally thought Liang Qiushi would use Jiang Xue and have her die in Gu Jinzhi's place!"

Her brows knit tightly, her face full of confusion. "But... Mr. Fei—the guardian of Yun Zheng—said that Jiang Xue had already cultivated her blood to the Great Perfection..."

Yun Xi looked at the Old Madam Yun. "Tell me, would Grandmaster Jiang agree to let a genius at the Great Perfection take the fall for Gu Jinzhi? Or is Jiang Xue's marriage to him truly an ordinary political marriage?"

"What difference does it make whether it's an ordinary political marriage or not?" The Old Madam Yun did not answer her granddaughter's question directly, instead responding with a meaningful counterquestion.

A cold glint flashed through Yun Xi's eyes. "If Jiang Xue is the scapegoat Liang Qiushi found, then I'll do nothing and happily watch the show... But... if she isn't..."

She paused, the corner of her mouth curling into a cruel arc.

"Then I'll make her become one!"

The Old Madam Yun encouraged her. "Do whatever you want. If the sky falls, your grandfather and I will hold it up for you."