The little girl sat blankly on the ground, trembling all over. As she looked at the woman before her, whose white robes made her seem like an immortal, tears streamed down her face.
Lu Xueqi sheathed her sword and crouched down.
Her movements were gentle, and so was her voice.
"Don't be afraid."
The little girl looked at her face, at those cool yet gentle eyes, and finally couldn't hold back. She burst into tears and threw herself into Lu Xueqi's arms.
Lu Xueqi stiffened slightly.
She wasn't used to such closeness.
But as she looked at the tiny figure trembling in her arms, she ultimately didn't push her away. She only patted her back gently.
"It's all right now."
The Qingyun Sect disciples landed one after another and gathered around.
The other disciples were silent, their faces filled with anger and sympathy.
Lu Jiuyuan stood to one side, watching Lu Xueqi hold the little girl. His gaze softened a little.
Jin Ping'er glanced at him, then at the little girl in Lu Xueqi's arms. She suddenly smiled but said nothing.
Lu Jiuyuan stepped forward and crouched beside Lu Xueqi, looking at the little girl.
"What's your name?"
The little girl lifted her head from Lu Xueqi's arms and looked at him timidly.
"X-Xiaodie."
"Xiaodie, where's your home? Do you have any other family?"
The little girl's tears welled up again.
"There's no one... no one left... The monsters destroyed the whole village... Father and Mother..."
She couldn't finish. She only cried harder.
Lu Xueqi held her a little tighter.
A moment later, Lu Jiuyuan arranged for a junior brother to take the little girl back to the Qingyun Sect.
Lu Jiuyuan looked back at the small, thin figure being led north by his junior brother and felt slightly relieved.
The child did indeed have excellent natural aptitude. If she was properly nurtured, she might one day become a pillar of the Qingyun Sect.
Once the little girl, Xiaodie, had been settled, the group continued on its way.
Jin Ping'er followed behind the three of them, watching the scene with the corners of her mouth slightly raised, but she said nothing.
She'd been remarkably quiet these past few days. She hadn't deliberately tried to get close to Lu Jiuyuan, nor had she picked a fight with Lu Xueqi.
She simply followed along quietly, sometimes admiring the scenery, sometimes resting with her eyes closed, like a lazy cat.
But Lu Jiuyuan knew she wasn't someone who would simply behave herself.
She was observing.
Waiting.
As for what she was waiting for, Lu Jiuyuan couldn't be bothered to guess—and he couldn't figure it out anyway.
A woman's heart was as unfathomable as the ocean.
And Jin Ping'er, who had grown up struggling her way through the Demon Sect, was even more inscrutable.
He could only take things one step at a time!
Besides, Lu Xueqi was a little jealous fussbudget who kept an eye on him every moment. It was inconvenient to do anything with her always around!
Deep within Fenxiang Valley, the atmosphere in a grand hall was entirely different.
An old man sat upright on a red jade chair in the center of the hall.
He looked to be in his thirties, with handsome features and a pair of narrow eyes that gleamed sharply.
He wore a crimson robe embroidered with golden flames at the hem, and the aura surrounding him was hot as a furnace.
The master of Fenxiang Valley—Yun Yilan.
"Reporting to the Valley Master." A disciple knelt on one knee below, head bowed. "The Qingyun Sect's group has entered the Southern Border!"
"Has that Lu Jiuyuan come too?" Yun Yilan's voice was cold as ice, and a gleam of hostility flashed in his eyes.
"Reporting to the Valley Master, that man has come as well!"
Yun Yilan said nothing. He slowly rose and walked to the entrance of the hall with his hands behind his back, gazing toward the distant horizon.
There, a dark cloud was slowly churning.
Lu Jiuyuan, you humiliated the Qingyun Sect that day. Now that you're on my turf, I'd like to see what you're capable of!!!
"Lu Jiuyuan, no matter how strong you are, you're still just one man," Yun Yilan murmured. "When the beast tide comes, how will you handle the monsters swarming you?"
He turned and looked at Li Xun, who stood to one side of the hall.
"Xun'er."
"Your disciple is here."
Yun Yilan returned to the jade chair and sat down, his fingers once again tapping the armrest.
"Lure the beast tide into attacking the Qingyun Sect's group. Remember, don't hit them too hard all at once. Take it slowly. Send in some low-level monsters first to test them and let them lower their guard."
Yun Yilan paused, a glint flashing in his triangular eyes.
"Once the monsters have worn them down, then you make your move."
Li Xun raised his head. "My task is to..."
"Save them," Yun Yilan said calmly. "The Qingyun Sect's people run into danger in the Southern Border, and Li Xun of Fenxiang Valley steps forward to save them. That kind of reputation can only benefit Fenxiang Valley."
"As for Lu Xueqi..." He smiled, his expression loaded with meaning. "If she's badly injured in the fight, after you save her, you'll naturally have to take her back to Fenxiang Valley for treatment.
"Once she's on our turf, I don't need to tell you what to do, do I?"
Li Xun's eyes lit up.
"You mean..."
"Get the person first, then win her heart." Yun Yilan leaned back in his chair, his tone as casual as if he were discussing something perfectly ordinary. "Even if you can't win her heart, there's no harm in getting her first.
"A woman like Lu Xueqi becoming one of Fenxiang Valley's people matters more than anything."
Li Xun took a deep breath and cupped his hands in salute. "This disciple understands."
"Good. Then go." Yun Yilan waved him away.
Li Xun turned and strode out of the hall, his steps much lighter than when he'd arrived.
The hall doors slowly closed behind him, and silence settled over the place once more.
Yun Yilan sat alone on the jade chair, his fingers no longer tapping the armrest. He gazed at the flame-patterned carvings on the ceiling, his eyes deep and unreadable.
"Lu Jiuyuan..." He murmured the name, then suddenly gave a soft laugh. "So what if you're at the middle stage of the Taiqing Realm? In this world, cultivation has never been the only thing that can kill."
He closed his eyes, the smile slowly fading from his lips.
Only silence remained in the hall.
The group flew on for a while longer, and the sky gradually darkened.
Lu Jiuyuan found a patch of flat ground near a mountain and had everyone stop to rest. The Qingyun disciples landed one after another. Some sat in meditation to catch their breath, some took out provisions to share, and others gathered in a circle and talked quietly.
Wen Min sat leaning against a dead tree, rubbing her sore legs as she grumbled, "I'm exhausted. I never want to fly again!"
Lu Xueqi sat not far away with her eyes closed, meditating. The Tianya Sword lay across her knees, and spiritual energy flowed around her, surrounded by a faint blue glow.
No one knew where Jin Ping'er had found a wild rabbit. She was roasting it at an unhurried pace.
Firelight played across her face, casting it in shifting shadow and light. In the darkness, her stunning features took on an indescribable, bewitching allure.
"Lu Jiuyuan," she said suddenly without looking up. "Do you think those people from Fenxiang Valley will try to trip us up behind our backs?"
Lu Jiuyuan sat on a slab of blue stone. He glanced at her when he heard the question. "What do you think?"
"I think they definitely will." Jin Ping'er turned the rabbit over. Fat dripped into the fire with a sizzling sound.
Before you continue