Just as Chi Yuan was about to soft-talk her with a few comforting words, the light sound of Qinghe's footsteps came from outside the door.
Shen Qingci put away her playful mood.
Qinghe would not disturb them for no reason. Coming at this hour meant there was most likely business regarding Master.
Qinghe stopped at the doorway and said respectfully, “Senior Sister Shen, Senior Sister Chi. The Peak Master requests Senior Sister Shen to make a trip to the Sword-Falling Terrace. She said it is related to Senior Sister Chi's breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage.”
Shen Qingci exchanged a glance with Chi Yuan.
It was a major matter regarding her senior sister's push for the Nascent Soul stage, yet Master had summoned only her. It was undoubtedly strange.
Suppressing the doubts in her heart, she smoothed down her lapels, turned back, and curled her eyes into a smile at Chi Yuan. “Wait for me to come back, Senior Sister.”
Chi Yuan nodded.
Shen Qingci followed the errand-running miscellaneous disciple out of Yunqi Cave and headed toward the Sword-Falling Terrace.
Pine branches on both sides of the mountain path were weighed down with a thin layer of snow. The mountain wind sweeping into her collar was infused with spiritual energy, cold and invigorating.
She walked quickly, her mind racing even faster.
Master calling her alone meant it was either about her senior sister or about herself. If it was her senior sister's business, she had to listen; if it was her own business, Master would most likely give her a piece of her mind or test her.
The door to the side hall was ajar.
Jinglian was wiping her sword with a silk handkerchief. Hearing the sound, she sheathed the blade and leaned it casually against the wall.
Shen Qingci stepped inside and bowed. “Master.”
“Sit.”
Shen Qingci sat down on the meditation cushion, her back straight. Jinglian walked up to her and got straight to the point. “Finished the half-year cycle of medicinal baths?”
“Yes, Master.”
“Then let me ask you.” Jinglian lowered her eyelids to study her. “Do you have any idea why I called only you over today?”
Shen Qingci paused for half a beat before answering honestly, “I can guess half of it. Senior Sister spent all her focus on me these past six months, falling a bit behind in her cultivation. Master must have noticed.”
Jinglian let out a scoffing laugh. “In your eyes, is your master really that narrow-minded?”
Shen Qingci pressed her lips together, not daring to utter a word.
Jinglian didn't rush her either, simply standing there and looking down at her.
Only after a long moment did Shen Qingci murmur, “This disciple knows her fault. I was just afraid Master might hold a grudge... It's been less than a year since I became your disciple, yet I've already whisked Senior Sister away.”
“Heh, whisked away?” Jinglian raised an eyebrow. “You come from a good family, have good character, and your looks, talent, and temperament are all top-notch. A-Yuan chose you herself. I am not some foolish old relic who insists on playing the tyrant to tear lovers apart.”
Shen Qingci's shoulders slumped as she broke free from her previous stiffness, saying sheepishly, “I just hadn't quite figured out your thoughts, Master. I was feeling uneasy and didn't even dare come to the Sword-Falling Terrace too often.”
“So for the past half-year, you only had Hanzhou send things over every few days while you yourself didn't visit even once.” Jinglian cast a cool glance at her. “Tell me yourself: shouldn't you be punished?”
“I should be punished.” Shen Qingci admitted her fault extraordinarily fast.
“Little rascal.” Jinglian shook her head helplessly. “No wonder A-Yuan always calls you playful in private. Someone really ought to bring your subordinates over to take a look—once your dignified and composed Eldest Young Lady skin is peeled off, what a mischievous nature lies underneath.”
On the surface, Shen Qingci listened obediently to the lecture, but a thought suddenly popped up in her mind.
When her senior sister nagged or talked about her quirks in private, she would never mention it in front of outsiders.
How did Master know about it then?
Could it be that Master secretly peeked at her and her senior sister's daily life on a regular basis?
Shen Qingci's expression remained unchanged, but in her heart, she added another word to Master's label—King of Closet Romantics!!!
A closet romantic to the absolute core.
No wonder Martial Aunt Liu still hadn't figured out Master's true nature to this day. With this kind of demeanor, who out there could possibly imagine that the Peak Master of Wanjian Peak secretly peeped at her disciples' romance in private?
Seemingly realizing her slip of the tongue, Jinglian coughed twice to cover up the awkwardness, quickly steering the conversation back to the main topic. “Let's speak of serious matters. Wanjian Peak's Sword Tomb will open next month. It opens once every three hundred years and lasts for five years, restricted only to cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage.”
“Each of the Five Peaks holds one spot, making five quota slots in total.”
“I intend to send A-Yuan inside. The Sword Tomb is fraught with perils, yet it is also the most suitable place of tempering for a sword cultivator in the Southern Region.”
“With five years of steady cultivation inside, supplemented by the numerous heavenly materials, earthly treasures, and cultivation resources you gave her, breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage will be more than guaranteed.”
Shen Qingci fell silent for a moment, then raised her eyes and asked, “Master, your insistence on having Senior Sister enter the Sword Tomb must stem from other considerations. You want to use the Sword Tomb to isolate her from external conflicts and avoid the Sect Master's subtle constraints, correct?”
A trace of admiration glinted in Jinglian's eyes. “You are sharp indeed. The secret guards under your command span across every peak, and your intelligence network is meticulous and comprehensive—you certainly haven't raised them in vain.”
“I have practiced soul-type cultivation methods as a secondary focus. Among those in the Soul Transformation stage, few cultivators can match the condensed strength of my divine soul.”
“I have long known about the two squads of guards you secretly arranged to protect A-Yuan, though I never pointed it out. Having these people on guard in secret actually gives me even more peace of mind.”
Having her hidden arrangements completely seen through, Shen Qingci showed no embarrassment or panic whatsoever. Taking advantage of the situation, she spoke calmly, “Master's plans are thorough. One can escape temporary schemes, but not long-term disputes.”
“Senior Sister entering the Sword Tomb for five years of secluded cultivation happens to give Master the opening needed to thoroughly settle the score.”
Her voice deepened. “Among the remaining four peaks, Martial Aunt Liu and Peak Master He have long stood on your side, Master.”
“Peak Master Lu and Peak Master Shi remember the favors of the late ancestor. While they cannot easily express a stance out of respect, they will certainly not side with the Sect Master. Having their two peaks remain neutral is already the best possible outcome.”
“Sect Master Martial Uncle has yet to realize Master's step-by-step layout over the past half-year.” Shen Qingci's lips curled into a slightly cold smile.
“Now that the situation has reached this point, any smart person would have long seen the pros and cons and known where to stand.”
“What Master needs to weigh now is never winning or losing, but how to leave no flaws and eradicate them root and branch...”
Decisiveness and bloodlust leaked through Shen Qingci's words. Master listened quietly, the smile on her face slowly fading.
Before she could finish, Jinglian's voice suddenly rose in volume: “Shen Qingci!”
“Will you ever betray A-Yuan?”
The sword domain burst open with a crash! A frigid sword domain pressed down from all directions, grinding the air into countless fine turbulent streams, snapping the meditation cushion beneath her knees in two.
In the shadows, several secret guards gripped their weapons simultaneously, merely waiting for their boss's command.
Shadow One raised a hand to stop them.
She saw it clearly.
Although the pressure of the sword intent was heavy, it was controlled at the mid Foundation Establishment level, intentionally avoiding the Eldest Young Lady's dantian and heart meridian.
This display had nothing to do with malice; it was purely a test.
The secret guards pushed their swords back into their scabbards.
Shen Qingci's bones creaked under the crushing pressure.
A body at the Qi Refining stage facing sword intent at the Foundation Establishment level was still ridiculously fragile. Her shoulders felt as if they carried a mountain peak, and her knees nearly crushed the floor tiles.
She clenched her fists, forcing her back upright inch by inch.
She lifted her face to meet Master's cold, sharp gaze.
“Never! Qingci will never betray Senior Sister.”
“But what if Senior Sister wants to leave me?”
Shen Qingci tugged at the corners of her mouth, her smile somewhat distorted under the pressure of the sword domain. Obsession surged in the depths of her eyes, without the slightest intention of hiding it.
“Then this disciple will lock Senior Sister up.”
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