Chapter 24: Encounter

Unlike Bian Lingyu’s icy and aloof tone or Jiang Yan’s gentleness, Jiang Qi’s voice carried a sense of warmth and approachability that easily made others perceive him as a good-natured person with a mild temper.

When Shi Luoyi first encountered Jiang Qi during morning lessons several months ago, she hadn’t found anything unusual about him. But now, as he whispered near her ear, the strange feeling became quite pronounced.

However, she was certain that she had no familiarity with this Senior Brother Jiang in either her past or present life. The handsome face before her felt entirely foreign.

Unsure whether Jiang Qi was friend or foe—or perhaps another of Bian Qingxuan’s devoted followers—Shi Luoyi pulled her wrist back and replied: “Senior Brother, I have an urgent matter to attend to.”

Jiang Qi glanced at her withdrawn wrist and smiled warmly: “No matter how urgent it is, you can’t be so reckless. It’s my responsibility to watch over all of you and ensure you don’t do anything rash.”

Though his tone seemed regretful, there was no room for negotiation. Clearly, as the leading senior brother, Jiang Qi wouldn’t allow any disciple to recklessly advance in such a perilous place as the Extreme Cold Ice Ravine. Shi Luoyi pursed her lips and murmured: “I understand.”

Suspicious of Jiang Qi’s identity, she began to pay closer attention to him. However, Jiang Qi appeared completely oblivious, turning his gaze toward other disciples instead.

Shi Luoyi couldn’t detect anything unusual, but she remained cautious nonetheless. Her priority was to quickly retrieve the ice lotus, so she focused her mind and applied her cultivation techniques, steadily moving forward.

Further ahead, many disciples were shivering uncontrollably from the cold, refusing to take another step. Though the ice ravine wasn’t dangerous, its freezing aura could penetrate most disciples’ cultivation barriers, leaving them helpless and fearful like ordinary mortals.

Walking through the ice ravine gave one the constant sensation of being on the verge of freezing to death. To reach the depths of the ravine and pluck an ice lotus required either exceptional cultivation prowess or a resilient spirit combined with adept use of cultivation techniques.

The deeper Shi Luoyi ventured, the colder it became.

Many disciples had already stopped halfway, unwilling to proceed further. They hugged themselves tightly, their bodies covered in frost, stammering pleadingly: “Senior Brother Jiang Qi, I can’t hold on any longer. May I please return first?”

Jiang Qi concealed the mocking smile in his eyes and spoke gently: “It’s fine. If you can’t endure, go wait for me at the entrance of the valley—but don’t wander around Forgotten Valley.”

The disciples felt as if they’d been pardoned, disregarding the sect’s evaluation entirely, and hurriedly retreated toward the exit of the ice ravine.

Jiang Qi turned back and noticed that Shi Luoyi had already walked far ahead.

Shi Luoyi, forming hand seals, moved ahead of most disciples. Her pace wasn’t fast, but neither was it slow. Compared to everyone else’s hesitant steps, she exuded an air of composure.

The wind lifted her flowing sash, her skirt fluttering, accentuating her slender waist.

She didn’t glance back at anyone. Jiang Qi smiled faintly, suddenly understanding why her fellow disciples found her aloof and difficult to approach.

Everyone else cowered nervously, while she carried the blood of Dao Lord Shi Huan within her, embodying the dignity and resilience of a true cultivator.

Such a girl was destined to stand apart from the crowd.

Just like Dao Lord Shi Huan in his youth, who hadn’t been particularly popular either. If given a few hundred more years, Shi Luoyi might have become the next Shi Huan. However, Jiang Qi knew she wouldn’t have the time or opportunity.

His master would undoubtedly clip her wings before they could fully grow.

At this thought, his eyebrows twitched slightly. Shi Luoyi’s figure had already disappeared from sight, and Jiang Qi instinctively searched for Bian Qingxuan. Sure enough, the green-clad girl was nowhere to be seen either.

A hint of deep contemplation crossed Jiang Qi’s expression. This Bian Qingxuan truly was formidable—no wonder she dared to be so arrogant. Jiang Qi hadn’t even noticed when she vanished. He briefly considered following her to investigate, but a nearby junior sister cried out fearfully: “Senior Brother Jiang, I can’t move… Brother, save me!”

Jiang Qi sighed, smiling warmly as he turned back: “Don’t be afraid.”

He placed his hand on the useless disciple’s shoulder, channeling a small amount of spiritual energy into them, and said tenderly: “I’ll send you back.”

Glancing around the ice ravine, nearly a hundred useless disciples still needed assistance. His eyes darkened momentarily as he suppressed his growing impatience.

The deeper one went into the ice ravine, the steeper it became. Shi Luoyi could vaguely see large clusters of blooming ice lotuses in the dim light.

Retrieving the ice lotuses posed no real challenge for her.

The fickle hearts of others and the unpredictability of old acquaintances—losing everything, being drenched in blood, becoming homeless—these were the cruelest trials of the mortal realm.

She crouched down, attempting to cast a spell to retrieve two ice lotuses. Suddenly, a force collided with her from behind. In the ice ravine, where spiritual energy was difficult to control, Shi Luoyi’s body slid uncontrollably downward.

Reacting swiftly, she turned around, intending to grab onto an ice crystal behind her. Instead, she saw an innocently panicked face—and strangely, she felt no surprise at all.

It was Bian Qingxuan.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Bian Qingxuan anxiously extended her hand, seemingly urging Shi Luoyi to grab onto her.

“Senior Sister, hold tight to me!”

Shi Luoyi gave her a cold glance. Her outstretched hand dropped limply, allowing herself to fall into the steep ice ravine.

Bad luck, she thought. If you want me to grab you, I’d rather smash my head open.

Shi Luoyi was certain that Bian Qingxuan had done this deliberately. Her junior sister was highly skilled; how could someone capable of effortlessly reaching the deepest part of the Extreme Cold Ice Ravine clumsily knock her down by accident?

Based on past patterns, Shi Luoyi could almost predict what Bian Qingxuan intended to do.

Knock her down, provoke her anger, then cry and claim innocence in front of everyone, portraying Shi Luoyi as unreasonable and incapable of navigating the ice ravine without blaming her junior sister.

Shi Luoyi chuckled bitterly, though she quickly calmed herself.

Bian Qingxuan, she thought, very well. You just wait.

Bian Qingxuan’s outstretched hand was mere inches away from grasping the falling Shi Luoyi.

Her expression remained one of innocent panic, but the moment her fingertips only brushed against the cold wind of the ravine, her eyes turned icy.

The girl would rather plunge into the valley than accept even a shred of her goodwill.

Oh, so you despise me this much? Bian Qingxuan sneered inwardly, casually withdrawing her hand.

Bian Qingxuan peered over the edge of the ravine, feigning concern: “Senior Sister, are you alright?”

She had assumed Shi Luoyi had fallen into a cluster of ice lotuses below.

The ice ravine made cultivators’ bodies extremely fragile. Shi Luoyi’s fall should have injured her, yet she saw no sign of her at the bottom.

Sensing something amiss, Bian Qingxuan glanced to the side.

There, embedded in the ice ravine, was a fiery Divine Ruin Blade. Shi Luoyi stood atop its blade, defying the fierce cold winds like a fledgling eagle.

How frigid it was above the ravine—and how much colder it must be in the depths.

Frost clung to Shi Luoyi’s hair, and transparent icicles formed on her long lashes. With a gentle blink, the icicles fell, leaving shallow scratches on her soft cheeks.

The scene carried a grotesque beauty.

Bian Qingxuan froze, stunned. Before she could react, Shi Luoyi, having used the momentum to ascend, kicked her squarely down into the ravine.

The force with which she had pushed Shi Luoyi earlier was now returned tenfold in this kick. Bian Qingxuan landed among the ice lotuses with a muffled groan.

While the ice lotuses were fragile and melted easily outside the ravine, within it they became the sharpest blades in existence.

In an instant, Bian Qingxuan’s clothing was shredded into tatters, and blood began to spread beneath her. Her forehead was gashed, and rivulets of blood trailed down her face. With her head bowed, a hint of dark ruthlessness flickered in her eyes.

Bian Qingxuan raised her head, staring at Shi Luoyi’s retreating figure. After a long moment, she couldn’t help but smile faintly: “Senior Sister is always like this—such a ruthless heart.”

Her face covered in blood, she sat at the bottom of the ravine, gazing after Shi Luoyi.

Shi Luoyi summoned her Divine Ruin Blade back, plucked two more ice lotuses, and without so much as a glance at Bian Qingxuan, turned to leave.

She didn’t even want to exchange words with Bian Qingxuan.

Shi Luoyi glanced at the sky and realized dusk had already fallen. As she made her way out, she knew it was likely too late; by the time she returned to Mingyou Mountain, night would have fully descended.

Because she hadn’t looked back at Bian Qingxuan, she failed to notice the strange sight unfolding deep within the ravine.

The ice lotuses greedily absorbed Bian Qingxuan’s spilled blood, blooming to their fullest in an instant—only to quickly wither away in large patches.

Countless ice lotuses wilted all at once.

When Shi Luoyi emerged from the valley, the sky was growing dark. Jiang Qi was still waiting for her.

Seeing the disheveled girl, her hair messy and scratches on her cheeks, Jiang Qi exclaimed in surprise: “Ropei Junior Sister, how did you end up like this?”

Shi Luoyi handed him one of the ice lotuses, avoiding the complicated question, and simply asked: “Senior Brother Jiang, may I keep one for myself?”

Jiang Qi noticed the ice lotus she was carefully holding close and gave a faint smile: “Of course.”

“Thank you, Senior Brother.”

Seeing that she didn’t intend to engage in further conversation, Jiang Qi thanked her and watched her walk away. Just as she was leaving, he called out: “Junior Sister, wait a moment.”

The confused girl turned back to look at him. Jiang Qi approached her, having noticed her urgency from the start. His gaze lingered on the ice lotus in her hand, curiosity sparking in his eyes.

Jiang Qi reached out, brushing lightly against her hair. The girl’s eyes widened, and she instinctively tried to pull away.

He found her reaction amusing and spoke gently: “Earlier, a flower spirit from the ice lotuses clung to your hair. It’s gone now.”

He opened his palm to reveal a small, icy-blue flower spirit resting there.

“Oh,” the girl nodded. “Thank you, Senior Brother.”

Indeed, flower spirits often hid in clusters of ice lotuses, feeding off cultivators’ blood. It must have latched onto her when she fell into the ravine and the cold wind blew it onto her.

Jiang Qi watched her walk away with a smile, his gaze lingering on her hair. In place of the flower spirit, a small white bud now adorned her hair, delicately pinned in place.

Casually raising his hand, he crushed the illusory flower spirit he had conjured.

________________________________________

Night had fallen. Ding Bai, not daring to enter the courtyard, cleared his throat and called out from afar: “Master, it’s dark. Should we lock up?”

After a long silence, a suppressed cough echoed from inside.

The voice was as cold as the lingering winter: “Lock it.”

Ding Bai obeyed and prepared to close the gate.

He muttered to himself, puzzled by Bian Lingyu’s behavior that day. At dawn, before Ding Bai had even risen, he saw Bian Lingyu already awake, frowning deeply for a long while before finally asking Ding Bai to fetch the set of clothes Bian Qingxuan had sent before the New Year.

Ding Bai was astonished.

Bian Lingyu rarely touched anything from Bian Qingxuan—not just clothing, but even medicinal pills were often met with a single word: “Throw.”

The relationship between these siblings had always been peculiar. Even Ding Bai, an orphan who grew up among the outer disciples, could tell something was off. But as someone who relied on caring for Bian Lingyu to earn spiritual stones by selling medicine, he didn’t dare meddle too much.

After much difficulty, Ding Bai dug out the pale moon-colored outfit from the bottom of a chest. Seeing Bian Lingyu wearing it, his eyes widened: “Master looks so handsome in this!”

Still young and raised among the outer disciples, Ding Bai wasn’t skilled at flattery. His words were always sincere—he genuinely thought Bian Lingyu was stunning, perhaps even more so than the widely praised Wei Changyuan.

Yet those ink-gray eyes remained cold, exuding an unshakable sense of distance.

Ding Bai rarely saw him wear new clothes, let alone such fine attire, and couldn’t help but shower him with compliments.

Hearing the boy’s awestruck praise, Bian Lingyu pressed his lips tightly together, saying nothing.

For some reason, Ding Bai felt that his mood wasn’t too bad. In the afternoon, emboldened, he asked a few questions about Bian Lingyu’s alchemy practices.

Ding Bai didn’t find it odd that a mortal like Bian Lingyu would dabble in alchemy, given that his sister was a prodigy in the art.

Unexpectedly, Bian Lingyu furrowed his brow but still offered a few pointers. This harmonious atmosphere between master and servant persisted until dusk arrived.

Bian Lingyu had been reading his alchemy manual beneath the tree where he buried the Daughter Red . As dusk passed, the book crumpled in his hands. Ding Bai couldn’t help but remind him: “Master, the book is about to tear.”

Bian Lingyu glanced at him, threw the book aside, his expression blank as he murmured: “So she really was lying to me.”

Ding Bai didn’t understand: “Who lied to you?”

Bian Lingyu didn’t answer. He lingered under the tree for a moment longer before returning to the house.

Though his back appeared icy and distant, Ding Bai inexplicably sensed a profound exhaustion that couldn’t be concealed.

Later that night, Bian Lingyu tossed him a piece of clothing and said calmly: “Burn this.”

Ding Bai recognized it as the outfit Bian Lingyu had worn that morning. Though he felt sorry for such a fine garment, seeing Bian Lingyu’s expression, he complied without protest.

The flickering firelight danced across Bian Lingyu’s face. Until the gate was locked, he didn’t utter another word.

Ding Bai sighed. Adults were truly incomprehensible.

Just as he was about to securely close the door, a hand suddenly wedged itself into the gap. Ding Bai looked over in surprise, his face flushing red.

“The senior sister from yesterday?”

“It’s me,” Shi Luoyi panted. “Is your master asleep yet?”

“N-not yet,” Ding Bai stammered, grinning foolishly at her.

Shi Luoyi said: “That’s good.” After submitting the ice lotus to the sect, she had raced back from Forgotten Valley, fearing Bian Lingyu might already be asleep.

“Has Senior Sister come to see Master again?”

“Yes. Could you please announce me or show me the way?”

Ding Bai sighed, lowering his voice with practiced ease: “My master is in a terrible mood today. He might lash out. If he tries anything, call for me—I’ll protect you.”

Shi Luoyi couldn’t help but smile. During her time as a demonic cultivator, she had always been indulgent toward children—let alone now. She patted the little boy’s head and said earnestly: “Alright, thank you. I’ll call for you if there’s any danger.”

Ding Bai instinctively touched the spot where she had patted his head, his cheeks turning bright red, momentarily forgetting how intimidating Bian Lingyu could be. Familiarity bred ease; he confidently led Shi Luoyi to Bian Lingyu’s room and tilted his head up, seeking praise.

However, he noticed Shi Luoyi staring at the half-open door with a complicated expression.

Previously, when Bian Lingyu’s health was poor, Ding Bai often came into the room after locking up to add charcoal to the brazier, so the door had not been fully closed.

Through the crack of the partially ajar door, the faint glow of a solitary lamp illuminated the room. In an instant, Shi Luoyi caught sight of Bian Lingyu with his clothes half-open.

Good grief! Just one glance, and once again, she saw what she had glimpsed before. The young man’s physique wasn’t as frail as he appeared on the surface. On the contrary, his skin was pale yet defined, his broad shoulders tapering into a narrow waist, exuding a sense of strength. When his face was devoid of expression, he resembled a cold, statuesque figure carved from jade.

Night had fallen, and the bone spikes were no longer usable. Under the flickering candlelight, Bian Lingyu sat with a cold expression, carving a piece of bamboo. Hearing Ding Bai’s noisy footsteps, he lightly coughed into his hand, suppressing the metallic tang of blood in his throat, and said coldly: “Come in.”

He didn’t know that Shi Luoyi was also outside the door.

Ding Bai blinked, glancing at Shi Luoyi.

Feeling inexplicably guilty, Shi Luoyi stammered: “I—I’d better not go in. Why don’t you come out instead?”

Oh heavens, what was she saying?!

Sure enough, the moment the words left her mouth, Bian Lingyu’s hand paused in its carving. His icy gaze shifted directly onto her.