Vol. 1 - Ch. 7 - Ye Long

When Jiao Tao talked about Chi Xiu Palace, she mentioned Ye Long in passing to Ji Yaoge.

Chi Xiu Palace doesn’t have many members, totaling about forty people, including the palace master, Madame Ying Shuang. Among them, besides Madame Ying Shuang's three personal disciples and a dozen low-level mortal servants who handle chores, the majority are ordinary cultivators neither excelling nor failing.

The Senior Sister Ye Long mentioned by Bai Yan is the eldest disciple who has followed Madame Ying Shuang the longest and is her favorite. She broke through to the Golden Core stage last year, making her the second most powerful person in Chi Xiu Palace.

Chi Xiu Palace has men who covet Ye Long and women who admire her. Ji Yaoge didn’t understand what this meant until she saw Ye Long in person. Now, she suddenly understood—Ye Long was different from the senior and junior sisters on Wan Ren Mountain and also different from the women in Chi Xiu Palace.

She exuded an ambiguous aura, both masculine and feminine, capable of being both soft and strong, charming and fierce. Just the way she called Ji Yaoge ‘little short-lived ghost’ was like a gentle scratch, tugging at the softest parts of one's heart, free from the frivolity common in Chi Xiu Palace. Even Bai Yan’s flirtatious behavior seemed childlike in comparison.

"Little short-lived ghost, why are you daydreaming?"

Ji Yaoge had never met such a woman before and couldn’t help but take a few more glances. Ye Long walked up to her, tapping her brow with a finger. Although she didn’t say much, her voice was inexplicably captivating. Ji Yaoge composed herself and bowed respectfully in the sect’s manner.

The men and women surrounding Ye Long had low cultivation but were all attractive in their own ways. The most notable were a man and a woman by Ye Long’s side. The man had sharp features and wore a red robe, standing with his arms crossed, a half-smile playing on his lips. The woman was strikingly beautiful, with a half-plume of smoke tattooed around her right eye, extending into her hair, making her look even more alluring. Ji Yaoge couldn’t help but take a second look. Bai Yan called them Senior Brother Ren and Senior Sister Yao when greeting them, so Ji Yaoge followed suit, but unlike Ye Long, they only glanced at her briefly without responding.

All kinds of probing gazes fell on Ji Yaoge. She used the bow as an opportunity to observe them quietly but couldn’t identify anyone suspicious. The sudden eerie energy she felt earlier had vanished without a trace. It could have come from one of them or someone hidden deeper.

However, wouldn’t someone at Ye Long’s level have detected such eerie energy? Ji Yaoge couldn’t read any emotions on Ye Long’s face. If Ye Long had noticed but pretended not to, wouldn’t that suggest she was connected to the culprit?

In a brief moment, no one could tell how many thoughts had raced through Ji Yaoge’s mind. Her contemplative look seemed different to Ye Long.

"You look pale. Are your injuries not healed?"

"Thank you for your concern, Senior Sister. I am fine," Ji Yaoge replied, rubbing her brow involuntarily.

Ye Long pondered for a moment, then handed her a small porcelain bottle. "Take this bottle of Peiyuan Pills. Rest well if you’re injured. The sect has been unstable lately, which is my failure as a Senior Sister. Don’t worry, I’ll find out who hurt you." Seeing Ji Yaoge hesitate, Ye Long pushed the bottle into her hands, pinching her chin gently. "Don’t really become a short-lived ghost." With that, she smiled and walked into the Cangling Pavilion.

The others followed Ye Long into the pavilion, and Ji Yaoge felt several complex gazes on her, but no one questioned her. She only heard the steady footsteps and a faint chuckle in her ear.

"Heh," a voice that seemed to laugh and scoff.

Ji Yaoge glanced over and saw Senior Sister Yao’s ambiguous smile flash past.

————

Ye Long didn’t stay long in the Cangling Pavilion. After leaving a few items for the sect, she quickly left without further conversation with Ji Yaoge. Once she left, her entourage also departed, but the pavilion didn’t empty out.

The management area outside the storeroom was cluttered with unsorted materials delivered in recent days, leaving little space to walk. Ji Yaoge glanced over and found mostly low-quality items: common herbs, ordinary pelts, mixed ores, and even food.

"These are from the disciples responsible for gathering resources around Shuangxia Valley," Bai Yan explained.

Though Chi Xiu Palace is small, it occupies a mountain, and all its resources are claimed by the palace. Low-level cultivators are usually sent to gather these resources like herbs, ores, and food. Though not valuable, they were numerous enough to keep Ji Yaoge busy for a while. Bai Yan kept his word and stayed to help her, handling most of the dirty work himself. But even as they worked, more disciples came to submit materials and collect spirit jade, keeping Ji Yaoge busy.

By sunset, when the doors were about to close, the pile of materials hadn’t diminished but increased.

"Junior Brother Bai, it’s late. You should go back," Ji Yaoge said, wiping her sweat.

"And you?" Bai Yan brushed off the dust from his hands, asking.

The cave was lit by glowing firefly lamps that shone faintly, making her face look even colder.

"There’s too much work to finish. I’ll stay here for a few days," Ji Yaoge said, still sorting through the materials.

"I’ll come back tomorrow," Bai Yan said with a grin.

"Thank you." Ji Yaoge’s gaze softened. After spending most of the day together, she still couldn’t figure out his personality. He seemed frivolous but worked diligently, handling all the hard labor alone. However, whenever he paused, his words were always flirtatious, leaving her to ignore him as best she could.

But her thanks were sincere.

"Just a thanks?" Bai Yan moved closer, looking expectantly at her.

"I have nothing to give you. How about this?" Ji Yaoge, not used to owing favors, sincerely pulled out the Peiyuan Pills. "Take this as a token of thanks."

Bai Yan’s narrow eyes examined the pills for a long time, then closed her hand over them.

"I don’t need this," he said, pushing the pills back.

"Why not?" Ji Yaoge was puzzled. Bai Yan’s cultivation wasn’t much higher than hers, and in Chi Xiu Palace, he was considered a low-level cultivator. The Peiyuan Pills would benefit him greatly, and she saw his desire for them, yet he refused.

"No reason," Bai Yan replied with a light smile. "I don’t want this."

"Then what do you want?"

"Wait until you remember what I want," Bai Yan said mysteriously, then added, "When did you get that cinnabar mark on your brow? It looks nice."

Ji Yaoge instinctively looked at the stone mirror on the wall—there was indeed a red mark on her brow. She had always thought it was part of this body. Could it not be?

Before she could ponder further, Bai Yan quickly grabbed her waist and, catching her off-guard, kissed her brow.

"You!" Ji Yaoge shouted angrily.

But Bai Yan was already backing away, leaving with a playful, "Consider it thanks. Rest well, Senior Sister."

————

"Scoundrel!"

After Bai Yan left, Ji Yaoge closed the pavilion door, standing before the mirror, angrily rubbing her forehead.

Her forehead soon turned red, and the cinnabar mark grew even brighter. She stopped, studying the mark. This was where the soul-binding ritual had been performed. Could it be related to her primordial spirit?

Finding no answer, she soon dismissed the thought.

Ji Yaoge sat cross-legged in the room, beginning to circulate her energy. She stayed in the pavilion not because she was genuinely busy but for another reason.

She had already planned her next steps. Returning to Wan Ren Mountain was impossible for now. Even if she could, her identity as a low-level Mei Sect cultivator would make her words unbelievable, and she risked being discovered and killed by Bai Li Qing. With her current frail body, leaving Chi Xiu Palace to wander Wan Hua was out of the question. The mountains and wilderness were full of dangerous beasts and cultivators. She needed a safe environment, and the pavilion provided that.

But she realized the culprit who harmed the original owner was hiding in Chi Xiu Palace. Her awakening could put her in grave danger. The culprit likely expected her to turn into a living corpse, which explained why they didn’t kill her. Now that she was awake, they would fear her remembering or suspecting her body had been taken over.

Whatever the culprit thought, they would likely try to kill her.

That’s why she stayed in the pavilion. With her low cultivation, her residence had no defenses, making it easy for the culprit to attack. But the pavilion, being an important place, had restrictions and formations preventing easy access, making it much safer.

Still, she needed to find the culprit quickly to prevent any information from leaking. Bai Li Qing was surely still searching for her, and if this news reached her, she would come.

Moreover, having taken over this identity, she felt obliged to do something for the original owner, repaying this debt.

Resolving her thoughts, she began meditating, using the foundational techniques of Wu Xiang Sword Sect to try absorbing spiritual energy.

She refused to believe this body’s poor aptitude would result in failure every time.

————

Days passed, and her skepticism grew.

The body’s aptitude was so poor that despite several nights of relentless attempts, she made no progress. Ji Yaoge tried every technique she had learned since childhood, but none elicited any response from the body. Meditating and circulating energy produced no results, and she felt nothing.

This unprecedented situation frustrated her.

"Senior Sister, did you rob a place last night?" Bai Yan asked, entering to find her looking exhausted.

Ji Yaoge rubbed her brow, not responding. With only a third-level Qi Refinement cultivation, a mortal body, and no progress after several nights of attempts, she was utterly exhausted.

"Here," Bai Yan tossed a pouch at her. "Today’s allowances. I collected yours."

Ji Yaoge caught the pouch, opening it to find a dozen low-grade spirit jades, a small bag of longevity grain, and a few crude yellow talismans.

Nothing more.

"Madame returns the day after tomorrow. How long do you plan to stay here?" Bai Yan asked casually, picking up a jade slip from the table.

After a few days, the outer pavilion’s affairs were sorted, but she showed no sign of returning to her residence.

"Tomorrow," Ji Yaoge answered, picking up the yellow talismans thoughtfully.

————

That night, Ji Yaoge didn’t meditate as she had the previous nights. After closing the pavilion, she began searching the storeroom. The numerous items were well-organized, making her search quick.

In no time, she had gathered the materials she needed on the table.

Cinnabar, glow powder, sulfur... Red and orange powders were placed in porcelain dishes, all common items in the storeroom. Taking a bit wouldn’t be noticed.

The powders were for making talismans. Although her cultivation had faded, she still remembered the talisman techniques taught by her sect. Drawing talismans required spiritual power, and her dantian was empty, so she needed external help.

With a clinking sound, she poured all her spirit jades onto the table, counting them. She kept five. Spirit jades served as currency and storage for spiritual energy. Though low-grade jades had thin, mixed energy, they were her last resort for making talismans.

Mixing the powders with water, she closed her eyes, recalling the talisman techniques. She had rarely relied on tools, focusing on personal cultivation, so she wasn’t proficient with talismans. But her foundational knowledge was solid, quickly identifying a few techniques.

Extracting energy from the spirit jades, she dipped a brush in cinnabar and began drawing on the yellow talismans. The talismans glowed faintly with blue light following her strokes. Concentrating, she moved from one talisman to the next. On the last talisman, she bit her finger, mixing her blood with the ink to draw intricate runes.

After a while, the final talisman was complete. Pale, Ji Yaoge rested against the table, carefully folding the talisman and tucking it into her clothes. With no magic at her disposal, this was her only means of protection for now.

Dawn broke again.

————

Wan Ren Mountain’s morning harp notes mixed with crane calls, spreading across the thirteen peaks of Wu Xiang Sword Sect with the first rays of morning light.

Spring Roll Cave, belonging to Bai Yun, had been desolate for days. In the vast cave, a slender figure in white sat cross-legged under the dome, bloodshot eyes glaring at the white talisman on the ground.

"It’s been over two months, and you still haven’t found her?" Her voice was hoarse, weak.

The talisman moved silently, but she erupted in anger: "Useless! Just a fleeing primordial spirit, and it cost me two Soul-Chasing Beasts. Bai Yun, I underestimated you!"

Calming down, she continued, "Since she disappeared in Tiyu Prefecture, search every inch of it!"

The talisman moved again, but she quickly retrieved it, sensing someone outside.

"Junior Sister, how are you today?"

In the faint morning light, a figure approached, clad in a sky-blue cloak, wide sleeves rippling like waves, slowly stepping into the room.

For a moment, all her anger and ferocity melted into tenderness at his gentle smile.

"Senior Brother," she called softly.

He sat by her bed, looking into her eyes, "You didn’t rest well again? Still thinking about the shattered core?"

She lowered her head, smiling bitterly, "A shattered core is hard to reform. Senior Brother, I’m not the Bai Yun I used to be."

"How are you not? Bai Yun is Bai Yun, unique in this world." He smiled again, gentle as ever. "Don’t worry about the core. I’ve found someone who might help."

Her eyes lit up, "Who?"

"Uncle Yuan Huan of Tai Chu Sect," he said, brushing her hair.

"Uncle Yuan Huan... the one even our ancestor had to seek out?"

"Yes. I’ve already informed Master. I’ll go find him soon..."

She interrupted, grabbing his hand, "Senior Brother, don’t go! I heard he’s difficult to deal with. I don’t want you humbling yourself for me, or seeing you troubled. If I could form a core once, I can do it again. Just give me time."

Seeing his hesitation, she gripped his hand tighter, "Promise me you won’t go, Senior Brother."

"You..." He was suddenly at a loss for words.

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