Chapter 26: Estrangement

As dawn approached, Ding Bai groggily went to unlock the courtyard gate.

Seeing a figure standing at the entrance, he was startled.

“Qing… Qingxuan Senior Sister?”

The person stood with their back to the light, bloodstains on their face and body, their eyes as cold as the winter frost.

Bian Qingxuan crossed her arms, leaning against the doorway, and lowered her gaze to look at him before suddenly smiling.

“Little Junior Brother Ding Bai, there have been visitors recently—why didn’t you inform your senior sister?”

Ding Bai felt unnerved by her seemingly kind question. At this moment, Qingxuan Senior Sister looked strangely unfamiliar to him. An uncontrollable fear rose in his heart, and he instinctively took a step back.

This was the second time he had seen Bian Qingxuan like this. The last time she wore this expression, she had raised her hand with a smile and slapped him hard enough to make him spit out blood.

In the past, Ding Bai had actually liked Bian Qingxuan.

He was the son of a villager from a nearby village at the foot of Mingyou Mountain. When bandits raided their village, the senior brothers and sisters descending from the mountain saw him as a child with latent talent for cultivation and brought him back to Mingyou Mountain, making him an outer disciple.

For a mortal child, this wasn’t exactly a blessing.

Cultivators fought against heaven and against others. The resources and opportunities available to inner disciples were often fiercely contested, let alone those for outer disciples. They fought tooth and nail over scraps left behind by the inner disciples. By the time it reached Ding Bai, there was nothing left.

Three years ago, when Bian Qingxuan found Ding Bai, he was almost skin and bones, looking more like a comical monkey than a human.

Only through the kindness of some older brothers and sisters had he managed to survive until the age of eight.

Bian Qingxuan had gently pinched his cheek and said warmly: “Little Junior Brother, I have a task for you. Would you like to take it?”

When Ding Bai followed her, he saw the disheveled man in the courtyard.

It was the first time the little boy had seen someone so injured.

The man’s bones were shattered, his body covered in mud, and scales lined his face. Terrified, Ding Bai tried to bolt out of the door: “A d-demon!”

Bian Qingxuan grabbed him, preventing him from running out and shouting.

“Let me go! Let me go! Don’t feed me to the demon!”

Bian Qingxuan gave a cryptic smile and said: “He’s no demon—he’s my brother. He’s just like this because of his foolishness.”

Hearing this, and seeing the inner disciple token hanging from her waist, Ding Bai hesitantly asked: “Really?”

“Of course, I don’t lie to you. From today onward, you’ll take care of him here. On the first day of every month, I’ll bring you a bottle of medicinal pills as payment.”

Ding Bai’s eyes widened, and he stammered: “A—a whole bottle of medicinal pills?”

Even one pill would be considered generous. How many spirit stones could such a bottle fetch? It was more than enough to ensure his safe upbringing. Though young, Ding Bai understood that fortune came with risk.

After hearing her promise, he calmed down and stopped struggling. With a mix of fear and curiosity, he examined the strange man lying on the bed.

The man’s clothes were tattered, as if soaked in rain. Silver-white scales faintly shimmered on his face, and his pale skin was nearly translucent.

But when Bian Qingxuan approached him, he opened his eyes warily.

Looking down at him, Bian Qingxuan said: “Look at you now, even children are afraid of you. I wonder how Little Peacock reacted when she saw you—was it the same?”

The man on the bed didn’t respond. If Bian Qingxuan exuded arrogance, this man seemed like a block of emotionless ice. He remained silent, ignoring her taunts as if they didn’t matter.

Bian Qingxuan continued: “You’re like a dying mortal now. If I were to strip you and wash you, the next moment, you’d probably try to drag me down with you.”

She spoke leisurely: “It’s not appropriate for anyone else to care for you. Your kind-hearted little sister has thought long and hard about it and chosen a clueless child to help you. Don’t worry…”

She leaned close to his ear: “If he finds out about your secret, I’ll kill him.”

Ding Bai couldn’t hear her last words, but he felt the man on the bed glance at him. His gaze was as cold as the harshest snowstorm on Mingyou Mountain as he said indifferently: “Take him away—I don’t need him.”

Bian Qingxuan glanced at him, her smile cryptic, and said: “I know you won’t die, but Brother, perhaps from now on, you’ll only be able to live as a mortal. You might not realize how inconvenient that is. Learn from him—even a child can teach you many things. Perhaps meeting her today made you give up certain thoughts, but there are still a few beasts to deal with. You need to recover your strength.”

The youth on the bed remained silent, and Ding Bai stayed.

After taking care of Bian Lingyu, Ding Bai experienced the most stable period of his life. As promised, Bian Qingxuan brought him a bottle of medicinal pills every month. Gradually, he no longer resembled a scrawny monkey, gained some weight, and even accumulated a small fortune that surpassed most of the outer disciples.

To him, both Bian Qingxuan and Bian Lingyu had changed his fate, allowing him to grow up safely in Hengwu Sect. They were his benefactors.

Compared to the icy Bian Lingyu, he felt closer to Bian Qingxuan. Perhaps it was the lingering fear from the first time he met Bian Lingyu. Even after Bian Lingyu transformed into a completely different person, Ding Bai could still sense the distance in his cold eyes.

Bian Qingxuan was different. Senior Sister spoke softly, had a good reputation in the sect, and was beautiful.

Her demands on him were minimal—just to keep an eye on Bian Lingyu.

Senior Sister had told him that if Bian Lingyu ever became critically ill and near death, he should immediately inform her. If anyone entered the courtyard, he was also to notify her promptly.

Since neither sibling placed much demand on him, and being naturally playful, Ding Bai gradually grew wild. There were other children in Mingyou Mountain, and starting last year, Ding Bai often sneaked out to play.

Until one day, he returned.

Bian Qingxuan smiled sweetly at him and, without a word, slapped him. She hadn’t used any cultivation techniques, yet he spat out blood all the same.

Terrified, he looked at his senior sister with her cold, piercing gaze. For the first time, he realized she wasn’t as gentle as he had imagined—she looked like a vengeful ghost.

The barrier in the courtyard had been broken, and Bian Qingxuan said lightly: “Didn’t I tell you to watch over him? If you had been here, this wouldn’t have happened. Truly useless trash.”

Ding Bai kept retreating, sensing murderous intent emanating from her.

Bian Qingxuan unsheathed her sword, but ultimately, Bian Lingyu intervened. The siblings exchanged cold stares for a moment before Bian Qingxuan sneered and sheathed her sword.

Ding Bai didn’t know what had happened that day, but it seemed that the protective array had been broken, and intruders had entered the courtyard.

After that day, he never dared to play around again, staying by Bian Lingyu’s side at all times. Ding Bai spent several days recovering from his injuries, and Bian Qingxuan disappeared for a long time. When she reappeared, she was once again as gentle as before, as if the incident where she nearly killed him had been a dream.

But today, he saw that side of Bian Qingxuan again.

Her entire body was covered in blood, wounds slashed across her skin, yet she smiled at him, her eyes filled with coldness.

Ding Bai trembled with fear and knelt down, pleading: “Senior Sister Qingxuan, please don’t kill me! No one wants to harm Master. That senior sister is a good person—Master seemed happy after she came.”

“Happy?” Bian Qingxuan lowered her gaze, repeating the words and smiling faintly. “Of course he’s happy.”

She raised her hand, but before it could descend, a bamboo piece flew through the air, slicing through the wind. Bian Qingxuan withdrew her hand just in time. She looked toward the figure standing in the darkness and sneered: “Big Brother, aren’t you supposed to be keeping an eye on her?”

Bian Lingyu stood in the cold wind, clad in thin clothing. His icy gaze fell upon Bian Qingxuan, exuding an aura of detachment.

“Qingxuan,” Bian Lingyu’s thin lips parted, his voice frosty. “If you’re going to lose your mind, come find me at dawn. There’s no need to take it out on Ding Bai.”

Bian Qingxuan’s deep, shadowed eyes lingered on him for a long while.

Ding Bai remained kneeling, caught between the two siblings, his head bowed in fear. He was only an eleven-year-old child, unsure of what wrong he had committed or whether Bian Lingyu could protect him from Bian Qingxuan.

Bian Qingxuan wasn’t just any cultivator—she was the most talented disciple of Mingyou Mountain.

Yet after a long silence, all Ding Bai heard was her eerie laughter: “Losing my mind? Am I the one losing my mind, or are you, Bian Lingyu? The things you cling to now are nothing but fleeting illusions—mirages that will shatter without me lifting a finger. When that happens, my pitiable brother, will you still be able to return to how things were?”

Her sword clattered to the ground. Without waiting for Bian Lingyu’s response, she turned and walked away.

Ding Bai broke out in a cold sweat, narrowly escaping death. Trembling, he glanced toward Bian Lingyu under the eaves.

His expression was cold as he watched Bian Qingxuan’s retreating figure, lost in thought.

Ding Bai hesitantly wondered: Is this it? Have they turned against each other because of me?

________________________________________

Shi Luoyi woke up in the alchemy room. The sky had already brightened considerably.

At this hour, she would usually rise to practice her blade techniques for a while. Perhaps because she had slept so soundly last night—and was utterly exhausted—she woke up an hour later than usual today.

The alchemy room was empty except for her. The remnants of burnt charcoal lay scattered on the floor. Staring at the blanket covering her, she sat in a daze for a moment before stepping out of the alchemy room.

Shi Luoyi never expected that Bian Lingyu would care for her. In her eyes, she had only just begun to atone for her sins, and Bian Lingyu hadn’t truly forgiven her yet. Despite their accumulated grievances, he had still given her a blanket. For the first time, she thought that perhaps Bian Lingyu wasn’t so bad after all.

Pushing open the door, she felt the biting wind of early spring. Mingyou Mountain still carried the lingering chill of winter.

At a glance, she spotted Ding Bai sobbing by the entrance and Bian Lingyu sitting beneath the pear tree, engrossed in a game of chess.

Ding Bai’s crying was heart-wrenching. Shi Luoyi initially intended to pretend she hadn’t noticed, but after taking a few steps, she turned back and wiped his tears: “Little Junior Brother, don’t cry. What happened?”

Ding Bai’s heart ached. Only now did he realize that this job wasn’t as good as he’d thought. Though men shouldn’t shed tears easily, he now felt the torment of guarding someone cold and unpredictable while constantly being wary of another smiling predator.

Ever since Bian Qingxuan left, he had sat on the threshold, crying silently until now.

At first, his sobs were audible, drawing a faint glance from Bian Lingyu that frightened him into stifling his cries, resorting instead to quietly wiping his tears. Bian Lingyu then ignored him entirely.

Ding Bai felt deeply miserable. Though his life had been spared, he feared he might lose his medicinal pills.

Now, cradled by the girl who didn’t seem to mind his dirtiness, his sense of grievance intensified. He whimpered: “Waaah… Senior Sister, I’m scared…”

Shi Luoyi had never consoled a child before—back in Buye Mountain, she had been the youngest. Seeing Ding Bai’s pitiful crying and his insistence on not speaking, she awkwardly pulled him into her arms, mimicking how her mother had comforted her as a child, patting his shoulder: “It’s alright, it’s alright. Everything’s fine now.”

Though she was a blade cultivator, even the most insensitive blade cultivators possessed the kindest hearts when it came to children. Her embrace was warm and soft. Under her soothing, Ding Bai eventually stopped crying. Realizing this afterward, he felt a bit embarrassed: “I… I’m fine now…”

Bian Lingyu silently observed him.

Seeing his gaze, Ding Bai quickly stammered: “I… I need to use the restroom…”

Having consoled a child for the first time, Shi Luoyi found it quite intriguing. Once Ding Bai finally stopped crying, she approached Bian Lingyu, sitting down and asking: “What happened to Ding Bai?”

“I don’t know,” Bian Lingyu replied, placing another piece on the chessboard.

Shi Luoyi had a basic understanding of chess and noticed that he was playing both sides—white and black. She studied the board closely.

She observed that the white pieces moved with gentleness and composure, while the black pieces were ruthless and decisive. It was hard to believe that such contrasting styles came from the same person.

Earlier, when Bian Lingyu had warned her about the Unchanging Toad, she had already suspected he wasn’t an ordinary mortal. Yet if he were something else—a spirit or demon—it was unlikely he’d possess such masterful chess skills.

Noticing her chin resting on her hand as she watched him play, Bian Lingyu’s movements became less fluid. Rarely did they share such peaceful moments during the day. Her gaze made him feel slightly uneasy: “You don’t have morning lessons today?”

“After gathering the ice lotus, the sect grants us a few days off. No need to attend classes. I’ll refine the pills for you in a bit.”

“Mm,” he murmured softly, preparing to pack up the chess set.

Just as Bian Lingyu placed the white pieces back into the box, Xianghui’s voice called out from outside: “Miss, Miss, are you here…?”

Surprised that Xianghui would come looking for her, Shi Luoyi rushed to the gate, worried something had happened on the sect leader’s side: “What’s wrong?”

Xianghui had followed the scent of Qianxiang Silk to find her, not expecting her to actually be here.

Spirits were sharp-eared and well-informed. Xianghui naturally knew this was the courtyard of outer disciples. Upon seeing Shi Luoyi, her first thought was: Miss has come to trouble that poor mortal boy again.

But the current situation left no room for such worries. Gripping Shi Luoyi’s arm, Xianghui furrowed her brows and said: “Something’s happened in the sect—Zhang Xiangyang is dead. Young Master Wei and the enforcement hall are investigating.”

Upon hearing this news, Shi Luoyi felt a wave of disbelief.

She understood why Xianghui had rushed to find her. Zhang Xiangyang was the disciple she had dueled with a few days ago. At the time, he had taken medicinal pills to humiliate her, only for her to expose him on the spot. Refusing to confess, he had been demoted to an outer disciple.

Thus, with Zhang Xiangyang’s death, suspicion naturally fell squarely on her.

Unaware of the gravity of the situation, Xianghui fretted solely about Shi Luoyi’s reputation: “They say traces of demonic energy were found on Zhang Xiangyang’s body.”

Shi Luoyi’s heart sank. If the investigation led to her, would her inner demons remain hidden?

In the immortal sect, those with inner demons were imprisoned, and those who fell to demonic cultivation were executed.

Who had killed Zhang Xiangyang?