Chapter 4: Junior Sister

Martial Arts Arena.

As the largest training ground on the main peak of Lingyun Sect, it was spacious enough to accommodate several thousand disciples cultivating at the same time.

At this moment, several hundred disciples dressed in various training uniforms were practicing swordsmanship, spells, and martial arts according to their respective masters’ teachings.

For a time, sword qi whistled through the arena, while spiritual light flickered bright and dim.

When Lu Fengmian, dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, appeared at the edge of the martial arts ground, the atmosphere of the entire venue underwent a subtle change.

Many disciples who were in the middle of practicing unconsciously straightened their backs and added another two-tenths of strength to their movements, yet their eyes could not help stealing glances toward him.

“Look, it’s Senior Brother!”

“Senior Brother Lu came really early today.”

“Don’t lose focus! What would happen if Senior Brother saw you slacking off?”

“I, I was not slacking off! I was just adjusting my breathing!”

Low whispers rose among the disciples, while they cultivated even more diligently.

Lu Fengmian had long since grown used to all of this. With that perfect Senior Brother smile on his face, he surveyed the martial arts ground and smiled as he nodded toward several disciples who looked his way.

However, inwardly, he was bargaining with the System: “System, look at this ‘Morning Greetings’ quota. There were so many people in the martial arts ground—couldn’t I finish them all at once?”

【Detected more than fifty valid greeting targets. Simple group eye contact or nodding can only be counted as a “group affinity display,” and the upper limit for a single scene is five people. Host, please maintain high-quality interactions.】

Lu Fengmian: “……” Too many rules.

Still wearing a smile, he slowly walked along the edge of the martial arts arena, his gaze sweeping toward the southeast corner—this was a habit he had developed over the past three years. He first had to quickly confirm whether the “target person” he was paying attention to was present, and what state she was in.

A young girl in a plain azure martial outfit was practicing swordsmanship alone.

Her sword style was completely out of place with that of her fellow disciples.

Lingyun Sect took the sword path as its Foundation, and most disciples practiced orthodox sword arts such as the “Qingyuan Sword Art” and the “Flowing Cloud Sword Art.” Their swordplay emphasized agility and elegance, uprightness and balance, like drifting clouds and flowing streams, subtly in accord with the Heavenly Dao and nature.

Yet this girl’s sword was entirely different.

Every movement was ferocious to the extreme, every stance cold and ruthless. When her blade cut through the air, what it produced was not a clear and pleasant ringing, but a sharp and piercing howl.

Her footwork was as fast as lightning and unpredictable in its changes, and every strike of her sword aimed directly at a vital point—the throat, the heart, the glabella… as though she was not practicing the sword at all, but fighting a life-and-death battle against an invisible mortal enemy.

The baleful aura emanating from her blade had almost condensed into substance, forming a zone of chill within three chi around her that no one dared approach.

Even her face was as cold as black ice from ten thousand years ago.

Her features were delicate yet devoid of warmth, her thin lips pressed tightly into a straight line. She looked like a drawn fierce sword stained with blood.

This was Lu Fengmian’s junior sister, Yun Heng.

Three years ago, after Lu Fengmian had just entered the sect, as Senior Brother, he encountered the first “accident” of his career.

At that time, he had only just gained a foothold in Lingyun Sect and was worrying himself sick over how to complete the assessment quota for those 11 core members.

On a stormy night, his master, Venerable Lingxuan, whom he normally never saw, had actually taken the initiative to appear in the side hall of Luo Xia Peak—not through a message transmission, but in person.

At the time, Lu Fengmian had been excited, thinking that his master was finally going to personally guide him in handling sect affairs.

And what was the result?

Venerable Lingxuan had been carrying a person in his arms, or more accurately, “holding” a person. It was a small figure covered in blood, breathing so weakly that it was almost impossible to detect.

“Master? You were…”

Venerable Lingxuan had a look of “finally dealing with one troublesome matter” on his face as he very naturally handed the blood-covered person to Lu Fengmian. “Here, your junior sister.”

At the time, Lu Fengmian had been completely dumbfounded: “...Ah?”

“The Yun family of Qingzhou, that immortal cultivation clan—did you know of them? I do not know whom they offended, but they were annihilated last night. As I passed by, I sensed a faint trace of life, so I saved her.”

Venerable Lingxuan spoke in a very casual tone, as though he had not saved a person, but merely picked up a fallen leaf.

“Her injuries were severe, and her soul had suffered an impact as well, but her foundation was completely intact; she was a good seedling for the sword. From now on, she will follow you.”

Lu Fengmian hurriedly took the body into his arms. It was so light it was almost weightless; the touch was cold and sticky, smeared all over with blood.

The girl’s face was covered in blood, and her messy black hair concealed her features; he could only see her tightly furrowed brows and pale lips.

“Follow me? Master, she… she was injured like this. She needs medicinal pills for treatment, and she still needs…”

“Go to Baicao Peak and fetch pills; just say I asked for them. Settle her in the empty room next to yours. Very well, I leave the person to you. Take good care of her, and also teach her.”

Venerable Lingxuan patted his hands and brushed away dust that did not exist. “I have recently gained some insight into ‘Dream of a Thousand Autumns’ and need to enter secluded meditation for a period of time; unless necessary, do not disturb me.”

Before the words had even finished, he had already dispersed into a breeze, leaving behind only Lu Fengmian, clutching the blood-covered “junior sister,” standing blankly in the night wind.

【Emergency mission triggered: rescue and settle Junior Sister Yun Heng.】

【Mission requirements: ensure that her vital signs stabilize, and help her emerge from the shadow of her family’s destruction.】

【Mission reward: proficient mastery of medicinal therapy, comprehension of “basic psychology.”】

【Failure penalty: deduct three months of cultivation progress, and bear the negative status “uneasy conscience” for one week.】

Looking at the mission that had popped up in the sea of his consciousness, then looking at the girl in his arms, Lu Fengmian could only let out a long sigh and helplessly begin bustling about.

In the blink of an eye, three years had passed.

That little girl who had once been covered in blood and hovering on the verge of death had now grown into a graceful young maiden. Her cultivation had already reached the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, and her talent in swordsmanship was even more astonishing. Only, this temperament…

Lu Fengmian looked toward that figure in the arena radiating cold air.

Too cold and distant.

Other than him, that is, her Senior Brother, Yun Heng treated everyone else like that, including Master. Venerable Lingxuan.

If it was not necessary, she would not speak; if she could answer with a look, she would absolutely not open her mouth; if it truly could not be avoided, she would still keep her words as brief as possible, as though saying one extra word would cost her life.

It had gone so far that rumors were spreading privately within the sect:

Had Junior Sister Yun Heng of Luo Xia Peak practiced the sword until she damaged her throat? Or was she simply mute?

Only Lu Fengmian knew that this girl was not unable to speak, but simply did not want to waste words on “irrelevant people.”

“Senior Brother.”

A voice as cold as a spring suddenly sounded at his side.

Lu Fengmian came back to himself and discovered that Yun Heng had, at some unknown time, already sheathed her sword and walked over. Fine beads of sweat glistened on her forehead, and a pair of cold, clear eyes was looking at him.

“Junior Sister Yun,” Lu Fengmian said with a smile, “your swordsmanship had improved again. That move just now was smooth in motion and restrained in killing intent, much more proficient than last month.”

Yun Heng’s eyelashes trembled slightly.

【Junior Sister Yun Heng favorability increased. Current approval status: deeply trusting (already counted toward core member approval)】

The System notification sounded.

Lu Fengmian was very satisfied. See, this was the result of three years of “nanny” life—junior sister was one of the few core members he did not need to worry about failing to gain approval from.

“Barely passable.” Yun Heng coldly spat out those two words, her voice still calm. But if one observed closely, one would notice that the fingers gripping her sword hilt had tightened slightly.

On the surface, she was cold as frost, but inwardly she had long since been boiling over:

“Senior Brother looked at me! He even praised my swordsmanship for improving! He was still as handsome today, dressed in that moon-white robe, like an immortal who had stepped out of a painting… That disciple just now practiced the wrong sword form, and he still smiled so patiently. If only Senior Brother would look at me and smile like that while I practiced the sword, I could master the Flowing Cloud Sword Art in three days. Wait, what was I thinking? Focus! Senior Brother was talking to me!”