Lin Yue practiced her techniques every day, running through the forest as light as a swallow. She could already swiftly select ideal footholds and could even flee at top speed while carrying heavy objects; if she were to leap off a cliff, she felt confident she would not die.
However, she lacked the courage to try it.
If she actually fell to her death, she would be letting down the system.
After a year, Cuckoo arrived as scheduled.
She stood silently beneath the tree shadows, a tight black outfit outlining a slender, ethereal figure, like the shadow of a tree itself.
The two began their contest. A green silhouette and a black one gave chase through the forest, gliding swiftly toward the cliff.
A light breeze fluttered through the woods, leaves dropping quietly as if afraid to awaken sleeping animals.
Familiar with the terrain, Lin Yue leaped rapidly between trees. With every step and burst of force, she felt herself landing on the best possible spots, significantly boosting her speed.
Yet Cuckoo was well-trained, her speed not lagging in the slightest.
Lin Yue kept an eye on the rapidly moving shadow from time to time when suddenly a hidden weapon, spinning like a silver disc, flew toward her with a buzzing sound, aiming straight for her heart.
It was a coin dart, a hidden weapon commonly used in the martial realm. Lin Yue twisted her footwork and flipped backward to dodge it, allowing the copper coin to embed itself into a nearby tree trunk.
Adjusting her foothold, Lin Yue immediately took off in pursuit.
A miss by an inch was as good as a mile. If she relied purely on chasing, she wouldn't catch up. With a cold, solemn look in her eyes, Lin Yue raised her arm, shooting a sleeve dart toward the fast-moving black figure ahead.
Taking advantage of the instant the figure dodged, Lin Yue pushed herself to catch up to her.
As their figures crossed for a split second, a flash of cold light shot out from the side. Lin Yue dodged it by a hair's breadth, but that single delay put her far behind...
There was nothing wrong with Lin Yue's lightness technique, but her ability to dodge hidden weapons while in motion still needed improvement. Unsurprisingly, she lost again.
As usual, Lin Yue offered a few words of praise, but Cuckoo did not leave as she had the previous two times. Instead, she extended an invitation.
"Would Miss Lin be interested in serving our imperial court?"
Lin Yue opened her mouth to decline, but the woman's next words made her heart stir.
"The court has decided to nurture two martial artists into the Master Realm. We have been ordered to seek out suitable candidates, and given your aptitude, Miss Lin, you have a chance to break through to the Master Realm."
"A martial Master Realm practitioner breaks the lifespan limits of ordinary mortals, extending their life by two hundred years. If Miss Lin is willing to work for our imperial court, we will provide you with resources and request a Master Realm expert to assist your breakthrough. What do you say?"
Master Realm? Lin Yue raised an eyebrow.
Breaking through to the Master Realm was no easy feat. It required not only a deep foundation of cultivation, but also innate talent to form one's own unique martial system, comprehend the essence of martial arts, refine qi into astral qi, and reach the realm of releasing martial astral qi externally.
On the surface, Great Qian had only four Master Realm experts. It was said that two belonged to the court while two lived hidden in the martial realm, leaving no trace.
Living in a martial arts world, Lin Yue naturally wanted to climb to the peak, but working for the royal family was far too dangerous.
The Brocade Guards usually picked orphans to raise from childhood. Martial artists from the outside who joined were generally assigned arduous tasks, such as theft or assassinating royal kin and nobles; since outside martial artists did the deed, blame could never be pinned on the nobles.
Though she currently lived on the mountain, she had heard martial artists talk about court affairs. The reigning emperor was advanced in years, and several princes were each building up their factions. The crown prince had been deposed, other princes demoted, and rivalries flared constantly.
If a martial artist stepped into this game, setting aside any ambitions of earning merit by aiding a rising ruler, they would be lucky not to end up as cannon fodder.
Besides, the Guiwu Sect was, after all, a branch of a major sect, and possessed methods for breaking through to the Master Realm within its traditions. She had plenty of time and was in no rush to break through.
"The terms Miss Cuckoo offers are indeed tempting, but breaking through to the Master Realm is exceedingly difficult. As formidable as you are, Miss Cuckoo, do you have absolute confidence?"
"The chance to break through to the Master Realm is rare, but it is a ray of hope after all. Does Miss Lin not wish to take the gamble?" Cuckoo countered.
Lin Yue shook her head. "I am merely a rustic person of the mountains, accustomed to a casual life. I have no desire to be bound, nor do I harbor ambitions of reaching the Master Realm."
"There are plenty of people with exceptional lightness techniques in this world. Miss Cuckoo should seek out someone else."
"If Miss Lin does not wish to spend her years striving in martial arts, then perhaps you wish to marry and raise children? There are many fine young men in our imperial palace who have yet to marry. What kind do you fancy, Miss Lin? I can introduce them to you."
Cuckoo asked this because having children not only consumed vast physical strength, but also depleted the primordial qi accumulated over years of cultivation. That primordial qi was the core foundation supporting internal energy; even with subsequent recuperation, it was extremely difficult for internal energy to return to its pre-childbirth abundance.
Thus, reaching the Master Realm would become even more difficult.
The court would not nurture such a person toward the Master Realm, though serving as a First-Rate expert would still be more than sufficient.
Lin Yue refused. "I have no such plans for the time being, nor do I wish to become involved in your court rivalries. If Miss Cuckoo wishes to spar, I welcome it, but please do not bring up this matter again."
Martial artists were difficult to recruit, let alone one as young as Lin Yue. Knowing this, Cuckoo pulled a jade pendant from her bosom.
"Miss Lin need not rush your decision. It is not too late to think it over further. If you decide, take this jade pendant to the four gates of the imperial capital, and someone will naturally receive you."
With that, she cupped her hands, leaped straight down into the shrubbery, merged into the shadows, and vanished without a trace.
Lin Yue focused her gaze on the smooth, polished jade pendant. Carved onto it was a relief of an eagle spreading its wings, bordered by fine swirling foliage patterns, which were identical on the reverse side.
She would keep it for now; if anything happened in the future, the court could serve as an alternative way out.
Winter arrived.
Heavy snow fell on the mountain, covering the treetops like light white goose down, burying the greenery and bending the branches. With a sharp snap, a tree snapped in two under the weight, crashing down across the path leading up and down the mountain.
In the mountain woods, several burly men dressed in padded cotton coats were walking down the steps along the path to the foot of the mountain.
They stepped on the snow, making crisp rustling sounds as their lower legs sank into the drift, while a white figure approached from above with light, slow steps, making no sound at all.
The men looked over and saw a young woman draped in an expensive white fox fur coat, strolling among the snowy pines. Yet the snow beneath her showed not the slightest depression. Snowflakes fluttered onto her plush hat and fur coat; her tall silhouette was as light and graceful as goose down.
The young woman stopped ahead of them, her deep black eyes looking over. Her features were refined, her expression calm, yet a faint smile played at the corners of her lips. Set against the snow, she radiated youthful elegance, her voice cool and crisp like snow itself.
"Sorry for the trouble, everyone."
The men stared in a daze; she was not overly glamorous, yet her aura commanded respect, making one hesitate to draw near or profane her.
"It's nothing, no trouble at all!"
"Miss Lin, stand back a bit, we'll move it right away!"
The men agreed, circling the large tree to inspect it. Some raised axes to chop the trunk, while others trimmed the branches, shaking off snow and tossing them to the side. The tree was lifted, slowly shifted to the roadside, and set down in the snow.
Rubbing their frozen palms together, the men continued down the path, clearing away other trees that had fallen across the trail.
"Thank you for your hard work. We have prepared some food and wine back at our humble abode; come have a cup of warm wine to ward off the cold."
At the mention of warm wine, the men grew excited, their warm breath dissipating into the cold air. "Hahaha! I won't drink tea, but if it's wine, I'm going to drink to my heart's content!"
The burly man slapped his chest heartily, while the others joined in to cheer.
"Miss Lin's wine was bought from Fanlou in the county seat—the Spring Brew! Last time I had the honor of taking a sip, the flavor left me craving more."
"This time, Miss Lin must let us drink our fill..."
The men followed the young woman up the mountain. As the snow on the stone steps thinned out, their footsteps grew lighter. Stepping into the compound, laughter echoed around them.
"Hahaha, you missed!"
"Jingyang, see if I don't hit you!"
"Come down quickly, don't fall!"
The group looked over and saw several children dressed in fox fur coats throwing their brooms onto the ground to play a snowball fight. Two boys on the roof grabbed handfuls of snow, packed them tight, and hurled them straight at the people below.
The older girl twirled to dodge, letting the snowball fly behind her, only for a hand to catch it, arc it through the air, and hurl it back up. The boys on the roof caught it and threw it back down, while the younger girl shattered the incoming snowball directly with her left fist and instantly threw one back up with her right.
The youngest child also swung his fists, but under the enemy's fierce firepower, he took a hit to the head and collapsed to the ground in defeat.
Below, an old man shouted up at the two mischievous boys to come down lest they fall, but suddenly a snowball exploded midair, covering his face in snow.
Lin Yue waved at Old Huang, who walked over.
"Warm a pot of wine for the guests to ward off the cold."
"Alright! Right away." Old Huang responded and hurried toward the kitchen, his back already stooped.
Lin Yue guided the guests into the main hall to sit down, excused herself, and walked toward the kitchen. The men looked out the doorway at the children who were still having their snowball fight.
The middle-aged men watched, laughed, and sighed with emotion. "Ah, to be young!"
They began talking about their childhoods—climbing trees to catch birds, wading into rivers to catch fish, playing king of the kids, and naturally, getting beatings from their parents.
As they chatted and laughed, Old Huang brought out bowls and chopsticks, while Lin Yue poured them hot brewed wine. A plate of roasted peanuts was also set on the table, and after exchanging a few pleasantries, the men picked up their bowls and drank to their hearts' content.
An hour later, the guests departed in high spirits. The children had long since swept the snow off the roof and ground, and were now drinking the ginger soup Old Huang had brewed while meditating to dispel the cold.
Lin Yue sat in her chair, looking at the snow-filled sky, red railings, black tiles, blue bricks, and withered trees, her heart quiet and thoughts settled.
Guiwu—returning to nothingness—meant both the return of the body and the return of the mind; "nothingness" was not vanishing, but becoming one with it.
Her Guiwu Technique had reached great perfection.
Lin Yue began teaching medicine to Jingtong. Another year went by, yet Li Le still had not returned. Some of those waiting outside the compound had left, while others were still waiting.
The children grew taller and matured. By the third year after Li Le's departure, sixteen-year-old Jingcheng, the eldest, had become a steady, resolute young man, while nine-and-a-half-year-old Jingming, the youngest, possessed bright eyes and white teeth, bearing faint traces of that beautiful woman.
According to Great Qian law, if someone went missing without cause for three years, one could apply to the government to declare them dead and remove them from the household register, saving six taels of head tax each year.
Six taels was six or seven years' worth of savings for a poor family.
Just as Lin Yue and the children were discussing which auspicious day to choose to go to the government office to complete the procedures, heavy banging echoed from the main gate, followed by a woman's clear, pleasant voice.
"Li Le, get out here!"
"Bang, bang, bang!"
"Li Le, you bastard! When your auntie catches you, I'm definitely going to break your leg..."
"Bang, bang, bang!"
"Open the door! I know you're in there! If you don't open up right now, I'm going to tear this door down!"
Hearing this, the onlookers inside who had been intently watching the drama immediately rushed to open the door.
Clang!
The woman's silhouette appeared before their eyes. Dressed in a lotus-pink gauze gown, she had a tall, slender build, long black hair cascading down her back, and watery eyes filled with rage, her oval face flushed red with excitement.
She held a long sword in one hand and had her other hand raised as if to knock. Seeing the door suddenly swing open, she froze slightly, inspecting the people inside before her gaze finally settled on the young woman in the center. The young woman had a smile on her lips but a cool, clear look in her eyes, possessing an innate elegance, and her voice carried the same grace.
"Miss, our sect master has been missing for three years and has not returned."
"He must be in here, don't lie to me! I tracked him all the way here! Hurry up and tell him to come out, or I won't be polite!"
Lin Yue raised an eyebrow and smiled politely. "Since you have traveled far to get here, Miss, why not come in and take a seat? That way we can show our hospitality as hosts."
Seeing Lin Yue step aside to make way, the woman hesitated briefly, snorted, lifted her skirt, and stepped through the main gate.
"Miss, right this way."
"Jingrong, pour tea for our guest. Everyone else, head outside."
"Yes," Jingrong responded, pouring tea for the woman.
The woman glanced at Lin Yue's amiable face, looked at the tea on the table, and remarked, "At least you have some manners."
Seeing her drink the tea and calm down, Lin Yue said, "My name is Lin Yue, and the children call me Martial Aunt. May I ask your name, Miss?"
"Meng Yanshuang."
"Where is Li Le?"
"Miss Meng, we truly do not know where he is. Perhaps he is hiding. We can, however, help you look for him."
"However, what did our sect master do to make you so angry, Miss Meng, that you traveled thousands of li to seek justice?"
Meng Yanshuang's face instantly darkened, and she slammed her hand indignantly on the table. "He's no good! When I catch him, I'm definitely not letting him off easy!"
"Our sect master lacked guidance growing up. He happens to be handsome, highly talented, and proud, which makes him somewhat arrogant and rude. Please don't stoop to his level, Miss Meng."
Meng Yanshuang cast a sideways glance at the gentle, composed young woman sitting opposite her, asking in confusion, "He is your sect master, why do you talk about him like that?"
Lin Yue gave her a helpless smile. "He left for three years without even saying goodbye, leaving Mount Guiwu for me to look after all this time. How do you expect me to speak of him, Miss?"
"Preposterous! He really is no good!" Meng Yanshuang slammed the table once more.
"Indeed," Lin Yue agreed.
Meng Yanshuang explained that six months ago, she ran into Li Le in Zhonghe Prefecture, Youzhou. Li Le offended her and spoke rudely to her, so in a fit of rage, she fought him. He ran away, and she had been chasing him all the way here.
As for how he had offended her, she avoided mentioning it.
Lin Yue appraised Meng Yanshuang for a moment; Li Le's lightness technique was not something an ordinary person could keep up with. Sensing her skepticism, Meng Yanshuang didn't offer an explanation, merely snorting as she changed the subject.
"Do you have a way to find him?"
"If our sect master truly wronged you, Miss, we will certainly not cover for him. However, finding someone takes time. If you don't mind, Miss, you may stay here for a few days."
Lin Yue didn't really have a way to locate him either, so settling her down first was the best she could do. But just a few days later, the door was slammed again.
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
"Li Le! Get out here!"
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