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The Main Hall was located at the highest point of the Demon Slaying Sect, symbolizing the unassailable. And because great heights always inspire a certain awe, a yearning for the Ninth Heaven beyond the clouds after ascension, the residences of the major sects were all arranged by altitude to distinguish the favor shown to disciples and their respective statuses.
But it is lonely at the top1. How many people could stand firm at such a majestic height? If one’s Dao Heart2 was not firm, they would likely find it difficult to endure this solitude.
The Left Hall where Tan Yun resides was built on the edge of a floating mountain cliff. Below, white clouds swirled like a sea of mist, and a ceaseless cold wind blew, causing her purple silk robe to billow out, a particularly striking and bright sight amidst the vast white expanse of the mountains.
“Junior Sister, your big brother has finished brewing the Jade Flame Wine for you! It took a full forty-nine days, and the cask was just opened today. The fragrance of this Jade Flame Fruit is so rich!” a casually dressed middle-aged man said, placing several jugs of wine on the stone table. He then took out two small jade cups from his storage ring. “How about I join you for a few drinks?”
Tan Yun remained motionless, staring in a daze at the setting sun in the distance, which dyed the white clouds with a warm hue. She lowered her eyelids, refusing to let the warm sunlight reflect in her icy cold eyes.
“I wonder if I was right or wrong to punish An’er so severely this time.” Her voice was very flat, as if she wasn’t asking anyone in particular.
Kong Yue paused, set the cups down properly, picked up one of the jugs, and popped the stopper. The aroma of the fruit wine assailed his nostrils. He smacked his lips. “Junior Sister, don’t overthink it. The punishment has been dealt. I’m sure Martial Niece An3 won’t dare to commit the same mistake again.”
Tan Yun turned around.
Kong Yue filled the cups. He quietly glanced up and saw that Tan Yun’s expression was one more of worry. He cleared his throat and said, “Er… this Martial Niece An isn’t a child anymore. Since you are her master, there’s no harm in taking her out for a walk when you have time.”
Tan Yun raised her cup. The wine reflected her calm yet inherently sorrowful eyes, a sight that would stir pity in anyone’s heart.
She tilted her head back and drained the wine.
Her face, as white as frost and snow, gradually flushed. She opened her mouth slightly, and a puff of cold white vapor escaped from her thin lips, as if she were swallowing clouds and spitting out mist4.
Kong Yue also drank a cup, shaking his head in intoxication. “Excellent, excellent! Junior Sister, how is the flavor of this batch I brewed?”
Before Tan Yun could answer, a masked woman in black suddenly burst into the courtyard. Kong Yue was so startled he nearly dropped the jade cup in his hand.
“Master, Sui An went to the Library Pavilion with her injuries. She took a copy of the Heart-Purifying Art and the Wood Spirit Art.”
The moment Tan Yun set her cup down, she stepped onto the warm clouds, and her purple figure was swallowed up and gone in an instant.
“Junior Sister… at least answer me first, is this batch of Jade Flame Wine good or not?”
Hearing no reply, Kong Yue shook his head. “It’s a good thing that Martial Niece An is willing to cultivate diligently. Why is Junior Sister so nervous? How strange, how strange.”
Seeing that one jug of Jade Flame Wine was already opened anyway, Kong Yue reached out, intending to take it back with him to drink slowly. But the black-clad woman snatched it, put it into her storage ring, then turned and leaped into the clouds, treading on them as she departed.
“I can’t even drink the wine I brewed myself… Heh heh!”
Kong Yue was about to turn back to the Pill Pavilion when he realized the black-clad woman had even taken his favorite jade cups. He immediately jumped up and down in anger, leaping into the clouds. “Little lady, give me back my jade cups! Those are my favorite cups!”
The jade cups abruptly appeared above Kong Yue’s head and fell, hitting him on the crown. Kong Yue reached out with both hands and barely managed to catch the two cups. He inspected them from all sides and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming they were undamaged. “Truly, like master, like subordinate. Hmph, I’ll go back to the Pill Pavilion and brew some more wine for myself.”
…
Sui An walked slowly on the path back.
She was flipping through the Wood Spirit Art.
Although this technique was only Yellow-rank, its strength lay in its gentle nature. It used Wood to generate Fire in an endless cycle. The combined power of the two could be several times greater, serving as an auxiliary to her Fire spiritual root, helping to fuel the flames5.
[Host, after you learn this technique, we can start refining the Jade Flame Wine.]
Thinking back on her past life, Sui An had truly wasted every single day. Now she felt that cultivation was also a good way to pass the time. Why had she been so uninterested in it before?
“An’er!” A deep yet gentle voice suddenly sounded from behind her.
“Ah?”
She was looking down at the Wood Spirit Art, walking at a turtle’s pace and swaying from side to side. When the familiar voice suddenly reached her ears without warning, she subconsciously threw her hands up, fearfully dropping the books and stumbling backward into the arms of the person behind her.
It was a soft embrace, and a faint scent of fruit wine tickled her nose, so mellow it was intoxicating. Perhaps this was what a warm and gentle embrace felt like.
Sui An glanced slightly behind her.
She was caught off guard by Tan Yun’s sorrowful eyes. But Sui An couldn’t understand her gaze; it was as if something was constantly troubling her.
[Host, watch your words and actions. Don’t reveal any flaws.]
Acting like my old self? That’s easy enough.
Sui An put on a bitter expression and stammered, “Shi… Shizun, you’re touching my wound. It hurts.”
A change appeared in Tan Yun’s usually calm eyes. She withdrew her hand, stood with her hands clasped behind her back, and glanced at the techniques on the ground.
Seeing this, Sui An picked up the two books. “Shizun has always taught me that one must not be impetuous in cultivation and that it requires daily accumulation. Cultivation is not just about cultivating the body, but also the mind. An’er has only understood this today, which is why I went to the Library Pavilion to get two books to study diligently when I return.”
“If that is the case, why did you choose a Wood-element technique?”
“I…” Sui An’s eyes darted around, unsure how to answer. Whether the other party would believe her if she said she was going to dual-refine her spiritual roots was secondary; she was more afraid that certain words might expose her.
One by one, a few disciples passed by.
Tan Yun’s eyes narrowed, and the pressure on Sui An doubled.
The disciples scurried away in fear.
“I… I just, just wanted to try alchemy.” In any case, if she wanted to practice alchemy, she definitely wouldn’t be able to hide it from Tan Yun. “Wood and Fire both generate and restrain each other. I need to have some understanding of my own Wood spiritual root.”
“Your swordsmanship is still unaccomplished, and now you tell me you want to practice alchemy. By stretching yourself so thin, you will only attend to one thing and lose the other6,” Tan Yun said, her tone stern and her eyes sharp. Her already tall figure exuded a powerful sense of oppression.
“Can you just not lecture me?” The cold water of her past life had already chilled her heart to the bone. At this moment, Sui An couldn’t stop herself from letting her face fall, her disguise long forgotten. “I listened to you and didn’t leave the sect. Now, can’t I just do my own thing?”
Tan Yun was stunned, not expecting this reaction.
She saw the determination in Sui An’s eyes, which was indeed different from before. This raised a sliver of doubt in Tan Yun’s heart.
[Host, watch your words and actions.]
Sui An quickly changed her expression, looking at her timidly. “Shizun… I shouldn’t have spoken to you with such disrespect just now. But I am serious this time. I want to learn alchemy. I will work hard on my swordsmanship too, I promise I won’t be idle like before.”
Sui An carefully watched Tan Yun’s face. For some reason, seeing her slightly bewildered expression, she felt a secret thrill. Who asked her to always lecture her, and to have her beaten so badly that she cried out in pain this very morning?
“You… truly want to learn alchemy?”
Sui An nodded. “Yes, truly.”
Tan Yun said, “Since you have decided, then be prepared for arduous cultivation. If you give up halfway again, do not be angry with me for punishing you.”
“Rest assured, Shizun. I will absolutely not give up halfway.”
Having persuaded Tan Yun, Sui An’s path in alchemy would be much smoother in the future. As her mind relaxed, she suddenly felt exhausted, and her whole body ached again. Everything felt uncomfortable.
“Come here, I will take you back to the Main Hall.”
Tan Yun stood waiting quietly, one hand behind her back.
As soon as Sui An got close, Tan Yun wrapped an arm around her waist and carried her into the air. Her hand was placed on her waist so as to avoid touching the wounds on her back as much as possible.
Sui An watched the night sky gradually emerge from under the setting sun. Only without the sunlight did the starry sky reveal its true, brilliant face, mesmerising her.
She didn’t understand, she really didn’t. The other woman was clearly patient enough with her, so why was she so dead set against her leaving the sect, even resorting to extreme measures to imprison her?
She thought it over and over. In her past life, Tan Yun forbade her from having any contact with Huaiyang, punishing her every time she saw them together. Could it be that Tan Yun had already secretly developed feelings for Huaiyang back then?
The thought made her heart feel stuffy and tight.
They returned to the lofty Right Hall.
Sui An bowed to Tan Yun. “Shizun should head back early. I will go to my room to rest now. I won’t run around.”
She rubbed her shoulder and turned. She could feel the blood-soaked clothes sticking to the skin on her back. It would probably be a lot of trouble to deal with it by herself later.
“Wait.” Tan Yun followed her into the room.
The Right Hall where Sui An lived was very spacious and large, divided into a living area and two inner and outer rooms. Even with a lot of furniture, it still felt lonely and empty.
“I will apply the medicine for you.”
Sui An was sullen. She would much rather be alone.
But Tan Yun had already taken out the medicine bottle. What room was there for her to refuse? She was always this forceful.
Sui An could only nod and move towards the bedroom.
She slowly removed her outer robe, which wasn’t too difficult. But her inner garment was stuck to her flesh. Every little bit she peeled away was accompanied by a wave of tearing pain, making her hands tremble.
Suddenly, Tan Yun grabbed her collar.
The cool pads of her fingers brushed across her shoulder. Perhaps it was too cold, as it made Sui An shiver. She dropped her hands, letting the person behind her do as she pleased.
Once the inner garment was removed, the wounds on Sui An’s back were revealed, of varying depths. Although there were only five lashes, each one had split the skin and flesh. If the person wielding the whip had used a little more force, her bones would have been visible.
A little bit of medicinal powder was sprinkled onto the wounds.
It stung a little at first, but thankfully, the powder’s effect quickly kicked in, and she could no longer feel the pain.
“Do you harbor resentment in your heart for today’s punishment?”
Sui An turned her head to the side. “How would I dare to have any resentment?”
“I heard that the Ruyuan Inn has a signature dish, a soup made from Sky Deer meat simmered with morning dew. It is said to be extremely delicious.” Tan Yun lifted her gaze, looking directly at Sui An’s still-youthful side profile. “You have always been a glutton. Tomorrow, I will order someone to send you a bowl. Will that be enough to resolve the resentment in your heart?”
These words sounded like an apology, but they made Sui An’s heart leap into her throat. Although she was a glutton, she didn’t like to eat just anything. Among other things, she disliked soups made from meat; she found them too greasy.
Tan Yun was testing her!
“I don’t like to drink that,” she said, her tone calm. But only she knew how nervous she was inside.
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Reika’s Notes:
- Oh? Shizun seems difficult to deal with.
- There’s nothing to worry about, is there? It’s not a different soul, so even testing her won’t reveal anything different.
- This text was translated by RudeGirl, and given to BC Novels to publish.
- I helped with the footnotes, formatting, grammar, etc., the usual stuff that is needed to post this on the website.
- Please let me know if there are any errors. Thanks for reading!
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Glossary
Kong Yue (孔悦, Kǒng Yuè): A Senior Martial Brother to Tan Yun, who seems to specialize in brewing and alchemy.
Wood Spirit Art (木灵诀, Mù Líng Jué): The Wood-element cultivation technique Sui An acquired.
Ruyuan Inn (如园客栈, Rúyuán Kèzhàn): The inn mentioned by Tan Yun.
Sky Deer (天鹿, tiānlù): A type of mystical deer, likely a high-grade spirit beast, whose meat is used in a special dish.
Yellow-rank (黄级, huángjí): A rank in the cultivation technique/item hierarchy (Human, Yellow, Mystic, etc.). It is relatively low-tier.
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- It is lonely at the top (高处不胜寒, gāochù bùshèng hán): This is a very famous line from a poem by the Song Dynasty poet Su Shi. Literally, it means “the high places are unbearably cold.” Figuratively, it expresses the loneliness, isolation, and pressure felt by those in positions of great power or status.
- Dao Heart (道心, dàoxīn): A core concept in cultivation stories. It refers to a cultivator’s mental fortitude, conviction, and unwavering determination to follow their cultivation path. A firm Dao Heart is essential to overcome tribulations and loneliness.
- Martial Niece An (安师侄, Ān Shīzhí): A term of address. Kong Yue is of the same generation as Tan Yun (Sui An’s master), so he refers to Sui An as his “Martial Niece,” showing their relative seniority in the sect.
- Swallowing clouds and spitting out mist (吞云吐雾, tūnyún tǔwù): A Chinese idiom. It is most commonly used to describe the act of smoking (tobacco or opium). In a fantasy context like this, it is used more literally to describe someone exhaling visible puffs of cold, magical, or ethereal air.
- Wood to generate Fire (木生火, mù shēng huǒ): This is a principle from the Five Elements theory (五行, Wǔxíng), a cornerstone of Chinese philosophy. In the “generative cycle,” Wood creates or fuels Fire. This explains the synergy between Sui An’s two spiritual roots.
- Stretching yourself so thin… attend to one thing and lose the other (左支右绌，只会顾此失彼, zuǒ zhī yòu chù, zhǐ huì gù cǐ shī bǐ): This is a combination of two chengyu (idioms). Zuozhi Youchu literally means “propping up the left while the right gives way,” describing being overextended and unable to cope. Guci Shibi means “attending to one thing while losing sight of another.” Together, they form a stern warning about the dangers of dividing one’s focus and failing at everything as a result.