Building Momentum

Cang Dongqing’s fingertips repeatedly brushed against the surface of the communication jade slip. The morning light filtered through the carved window lattices, casting fragmented spots of brightness onto the azure jade desk.

"Building momentum..." she whispered the words softly, as if tasting some unfamiliar poison.

As the direct disciple of Ling Xiao Immortal Venerable, she understood the utility of a reputation better than anyone. The continuous stream of resources being sent her way were merely sweeteners; what was truly precious was the sudden shift in the attitudes of the various peak elders.

Cang Dongqing had always been acutely aware that while the elders had previously given her some favorable treatment out of respect for her status as the youngest disciple of Ling Xiao Immortal Venerable, it was far less than what the other direct disciples received.

After all, she had previously been just a tiny Qi Condensation stage cultivator. So-called geniuses only mattered if they could grow up; those who died young were never in short supply—and the Sword Heart Sect never lacked for geniuses.

Since her return from the Flowing Cloud Secret Realm, others had treated her with a certain subtle distance because of her drop in cultivation realm. It was only after this breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment stage—even breaking the record set by her genius eldest senior brother—and this sudden burst of fame that everyone had become warm toward her again.

Even Ling Xiao, who had been somewhat cold toward her before, began to value her once more.

"It has certainly saved me a lot of trouble..." Cang Dongqing tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes.

Though she didn't know who was pushing things behind the scenes, this kind of momentum was entirely beneficial to her. With fame came resources, and at the same time, it served as the perfect cover. Who would suspect a 'fragile' little junior sister? Her senior brothers and sisters would continue to look after her out of habit, but no one would ever question her right to those resources again.

Cang Dongqing suddenly stood up, her plain white skirts sweeping over the gift boxes scattered across the floor. She stopped before a cracked bronze mirror, tapping the surface with a finger. She watched the person in the mirror reveal a perfectly timed, somewhat bashful smile while her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes—a perfect performance of 'unease at sudden fame.'

"A 'genius' like this..." she whispered to her reflection, "is the least likely to make people stay on their guard, isn't it?"

After all, her goal had always been...

On the other side, Lin Shuang, having left Cang Dongqing’s residence, went straight to the martial arts arena.

The midday sun made the bluestone floor scorching hot. The tip of Lin Shuang’s sword traced messy lines on the stone, mirroring her chaotic thoughts.

From that angle at the time... Le Changxi must have seen Cang Dongqing give her that push.

'I have to ask clearly...' She sheathed her sword, her thumb unconsciously rubbing the crack on the hilt—a mark left by an evil cultivator in the Forest of Demonic Beasts.

At this thought, she turned back toward the disciple residences. As she rounded the corridor, Lin Shuang came to an abrupt halt.

Le Changxi was walking from the direction of the storehouse carrying a brocade box. He was so engrossed he didn't even notice that his moon-white robes were soaked with sweat, his face filled with irrepressible joy.

The lid of the box was slightly ajar, revealing the unique blue light of thousand-year cold jade—a core material for refining a life-bound magic treasure.

Lin Shuang’s sword clanked against a pillar.

She watched Le Changxi walk with a light step toward Cang Dongqing’s courtyard, suddenly remembering the news she had heard this morning—Ling Xiao Immortal Venerable had personally requested a cold jade quota for Cang Dongqing.

"It's meaningless..." she murmured, repeating Cang Dongqing’s words as her nails dug deep into her palms.

Lin Shuang suddenly realized how laughable her obsession with the truth of that push was.

Even if the entire sect knew Cang Dongqing had used a fellow disciple as a shield, so what? She was a direct disciple of Ling Xiao Immortal Venerable, an existence even the sovereign had to show respect to. Furthermore, the entire sect was currently immersed in the joy of the Sword Heart Sect’s reputation reaching new heights because of her achievements. Who would care about what had actually happened in the Forest of Demonic Beasts that day?

Moreover... would Le Changxi really testify for her?

Lin Shuang closed her eyes, the tip of her sword letting out a harsh screech against the bluestone floor.

In the end, human hearts were fickle.

...

As twilight shrouded the buildings of the Five Elements Dao Sect, Li Nanzhu tapped her finger on the desk, her gaze fixed on the open Annals of the Cultivation World.

Suisui lay on her shoulder, its soul fire flickering gently in rhythm with her page-turning.

"It’s still too early..." She suddenly closed the book, startling Suisui. She was certain her memory was not mistaken.

According to the original story script, Cang Dongqing was supposed to achieve fame in one stroke during the Sect Competition six months from now. In that competition, she would defeat all late-stage Foundation Establishment opponents while only being at the early stage herself. It was from that point on that she attracted the attention of countless geniuses across the cultivation world.

It was not supposed to be now, suddenly rising to prominence because of some memory stone footage of unknown origin.

Feng Qingping pushed the door open, bringing in a night breeze scented with medicinal herbs. She carried an azure jade tea tray, with two cups of tea emitting curls of steam.

"Still no clues?" She placed the tea on the desk, the tea reflecting the image of the memory stone.

Li Nanzhu shook her head, her finger tracing the surface of the stone.

They had spent the day using every method they could—spiritual energy tracing, image analysis, and even having Feng Weilan use his sword intent to sense it—but they couldn't find a single trace of the person who had filmed it. The images on the stone were too perfect, so perfect they seemed like a meticulously designed stage play.

Feng Weilan and Feng Qingping exchanged a look. Although they didn't know why their junior sister was so persistent about this matter, since she wanted to investigate, they would help her.

"Regarding the Tingfeng Pavilion side..." Feng Weilan had just started to speak when he saw Li Nanzhu shake her head.

"I’ve already troubled Fifth Senior Sister and Sixth Senior Brother enough, and I don't think we need to check anymore." Her voice was soft, but it made Suisui suddenly grip her collar tightly. "To be able to publish something in the Tingfeng Pavilion without a traceable source, it’s either someone in the sect's high-level management, or..." Ripples suddenly formed in her tea, reflecting her suddenly grave expression.

Li Nanzhu looked out at the medicine garden in the courtyard, suddenly recalling a detail in the original book that was very easy to overlook—half a year before the Sect Competition, Cang Dongqing had received special guidance from Ling Xiao Immortal Venerable. At the time, the book had only mentioned it in passing: 'The Immortal Venerable seems to have noticed something.' Thinking about it now...

"Tell me..." she said, slowly turning the teacup as she watched the leaves swirl at the bottom. "What if this momentum was authorized by Ling Xiao Immortal Venerable himself?"

"Unlikely." Feng Qingping shook her head. "Junior Sister, you joined late, so there are things you might not know. Ling Xiao Immortal Venerable is famous in the cultivation world for hating meaningless displays. There are even rumors that he once publicly rebuked the Hall of Rituals elders for making too much of a spectacle."

Li Nanzhu looked at Feng Qingping in surprise. Based on her current impression of Ling Xiao and the descriptions in the original script, she couldn't see him being that kind of person at all.

"...If you are truly that concerned, I can go to the Sword Heart Sect."

As soon as Feng Weilan finished speaking, Li Nanzhu interrupted him, her head shaking like a rattle. Even if her senior brother was an expert at concealing his presence, the Sword Heart Sect had so many high-level cultivators; how could a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator face them?

"These matters shouldn't involve you two to begin with." She put the memory stone into her storage bag and smiled. "My intuition tells me that someone will be more anxious than us."