The moment the Zhao family departed, the people of the Xu family’s second branch did a complete about-face.
Xu Chongguang was the first to step forward, his face beaming with warmth as he repeatedly cupped his hands toward Lin Zhixue.
“Miss Lin! Thank you so much for stepping in to help today!”
“Had you not stood up for us, our Xu family’s generational talisman shop would have surely been lost, shaking the very foundation of our clan.”
“So young, yet possessing such astonishing sword cultivation—truly, you are a peerless talent emerging from the Yunxiao Sect!”
At his side, Second Aunt also rushed forward, her eyes curving into warm smiles as she looked Lin Zhixue up and down, praising her endlessly.
“Yes, indeed! Thank you so very much, child!”
Her tone was enthusiastic and affectionate, brimming with genuine fondness. “Not only are your skills top-notch, but you are also so graceful and pretty, and your character is simply remarkable.”
“Whenever you have free time in the future, you must come visit our Xu family often!”
“Our humble family cannot compare to the grandeur of a sect, but our supply of talismans, spirit paper, and common cultivation consumables is never lacking. If you ever need anything, just say the word and we won’t hesitate in the slightest!”
“These people change their tune so fast,” Xiaoyu muttered, floating beside Gu Yanqing with its arms crossed and lips puckered.
“Just a moment ago, they were giving Zhixue the cold shoulder, but now it’s all affectionate, calling her ‘Miss Lin’ with every breath.”
Leaning against the courtyard wall, Gu Yanqing simply watched the members of the Xu family’s second branch bustle around Lin Zhixue, shaking his head slightly.
Before Xu Chongguang could continue offering his profuse thanks and urging them to stay, Xu Muhe took a step forward, blocking Lin Zhixue from view, and cut in.
“Second Uncle.” Her voice was calm and polite, yet carried an unmistakable firmness that brooked no argument.
“Miss Lin and Junior Brother Gu have been away from the sect for some time, and there are still matters awaiting their attention back there. It is not convenient for them to linger at our manor.”
Lin Zhixue glanced at Xu Muhe beside her and nodded gently in agreement. “Indeed, it is time for us to return.”
Hearing this, Xu Chongguang hurried forward. “Don’t be in such a rush to leave! At least stay for dinner so we can properly show our gratitude!”
“There is no need to trouble yourself, Second Uncle.”
Xu Muhe turned aside, clearing the path leading out of the manor.
“There will be plenty of time in the future. Their sect duties take precedence, and it would not do to delay them.”
As the two walked out the main gates of the Xu manor, they could faintly hear Second Aunt grumbling under her breath to Xu Chongguang behind them.
“That girl Muhe never mentioned this Lin Zhixue was so formidable. If she had told us earlier, the Zhao family wouldn’t have pushed us all the way to our doorstep today.”
Xu Muhe’s footsteps paused briefly. She accompanied them only as far as the mouth of the alley.
“Thank you both for today.”
She stood at the entrance of the alley, the afternoon sunlight filtering through the eaves to dapple her shoulders.
Lin Zhixue looked into her eyes. “Friends don’t need to thank each other.”
Xu Muhe stood quietly at the alley’s edge, the tension in her eyes softening considerably.
“Take care.”
With that, she turned and headed back toward the Xu manor.
...
By the time they returned to the sect, dusk was already falling.
Just as Gu Yanqing stepped into his courtyard, the transmission jade slip at his waist lit up.
Liu Ruolan’s voice rang out from the jade slip, rushed and clear, sounding exceptionally distinct in the quiet courtyard.
From the other end of the jade slip, her voice came rapid and bright, a barrage of questions raining down upon him without pause.
“Are your clothes thick enough? Don’t let yourself catch cold.”
“Do you have enough spirit stones to get by? If you’re running low, just let the family know.”
“Remember to take the pills distributed by the sect on time. Don’t be slack about it.”
“The wind and snow have been heavy lately, so put on extra layers. Don’t just rely on your cultivation to tough out the cold.”
Listening to her constant stream of nagging reminders, Gu Yanqing felt a momentary daze, as though he had never truly left Canglan City.
“Mother, I have enough spirit stones, plenty of pills, and more than enough clothes.”
He responded to each of her concerns one by one.
Before Liu Ruolan could say another word, Gu Yuanshan’s voice cut in from the side, terse and succinct: “Focus on your cultivation at the sect.”
“I understand, Father,” Gu Yanqing replied.
Liu Ruolan offered a few more meticulous reminders before reluctantly terminating the transmission, the faint glow on the jade slip gradually fading away.
He stowed the jade slip, hung it back at his waist, and walked over to sit on the edge of the bed.
...
Inside Lin Zhixue’s room, the lamp was still lit.
She sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed, the Guilan Sword resting across her lap as she quietly pondered the 《Autumn Water Sword Technique》.
The precise measure of force that had puzzled her before had unexpectedly grown clearer after her strike at the Xu manor earlier today.
Enlightenment dawned upon her: sword qi manifestation did not rely on ferocity and speed; its true essence lay in steady, poised harmony.
Gently closing her eyes, she tapped her fingertips rhythmically against the scabbard. With every light tap, a watery gleam of sword light rippled across her mind, tracing a graceful, gentle arc.
...
Early the next morning, Gu Yanqing pushed open his door to find that a light snow had fallen through the night.
The courtyard ground was blanketed in pale white, flecks of snow packed between the flagstone seams, and short icicles hung from the eaves, glistening translucently in the morning light.
He exhaled a plume of white mist, finding the chill he breathed in far from biting.
His late Foundation Establishment spiritual power circulated on its own, its warmth shielding his meridians. The moment the cold air brushed against his skin, it melted away, leaving behind only a faint cool sensation.
“Whoa! Zhixue, look!” Xiaoyu’s excited voice carried over from the adjacent courtyard. “It’s so pretty outside! It really snowed!”
He looked over toward the sound.
Xiaoyu was hovering by the doorway, half of its spirit body leaning outside, casting a faint cyan glow onto the snow.
Lin Zhixue stood beside it, dressed in her light-grey outer disciple robes, looking up at the snowflakes drifting down from the sky.
Snowflakes settled in her hair and upon her shoulders. She reached out a hand to catch a flake, watching as it melted into a tiny bead of water in her palm.
“Aren’t you cold?” he asked.
She turned her head toward him and shook it.
“You’re only at early Foundation Establishment. Are you truly not cold?”
“I’m not,” she replied, simply brushing the snow from her shoulder.
A brisk patter of footsteps echoed from the stone path.
Xu Muhe rounded the corner of the alley carrying an oiled paper packet, plumes of white breath dispersing into the morning light.
She walked up to the two of them.
“There was a mountain of family matters to deal with yesterday. Even though the Zhao family won’t dare return for the time being, the shop’s accounts and raw materials had to be re-audited. I was busy until this morning before I could manage to get away and return.”
With that, she pressed the oiled paper packet into Lin Zhixue’s hands.
“Osmanthus spirit cake, brought from home.”
“It’s nothing valuable—just something made by an old shop back home. My father used to buy some every time I went back. I brought it so you could give it a taste.”
The oiled paper packet felt warm in her hands, faintly giving off the sweet yet refreshing aroma of osmanthus flowers, neatly bound with fine hemp cord.
Lin Zhixue looked down at the oiled paper packet in her hands, not moving for a long while.
Aside from Xiaohe, no one had ever brought food especially for her.
Xiaohe would sneak dry rations into her luggage, wait up for her with bowls of hot congee, and apply medicine to her wounds with tear-rimmed eyes whenever she was hurt.
Yet that was different.
Xiaohe was her maidservant, someone who had grown up alongside her.
Meanwhile, Xu Muhe had only “officially” become her friend not long ago.
“Go ahead and take it,” Gu Yanqing said, leaning against the courtyard wall. “She went out of her way to bring it for you.”
“Yeah, yeah! It smells so good! Zhixue, hurry and try some!”
Xiaoyu hovered right above the paper packet, sniffing vigorously.
Naturally, it couldn’t smell a thing, but from Lin Zhixue’s hesitant expression, it had already deduced that it must be delicious.
Lin Zhixue untied the fine hemp cord and opened the oiled paper packet.
Inside lay several pieces of pale-yellow pastries neatly arranged, their surfaces sprinkled with a delicate dusting of crushed osmanthus blossoms, emitting a pleasantly sweet aroma that was not at all cloying.
She picked up a piece and took a gentle bite.
The pastry was soft and pillowy, melting the moment it entered her mouth. The sweet, refreshing taste of osmanthus dissolved across her tongue, carrying a subtle hint of rice aroma.
She swallowed the pastry and looked down at the remaining half in her hand.
“It’s delicious,” she said.
Xu Muhe let out a sigh of relief. “That’s good. I was worried you might find it too sweet.”
She also took a pastry from the packet, took a small nibble, and remarked casually, “If you two like it, just tell me. I’ll bring more the next time I go home.”
Xiaoyu drifted back and forth among the three of them several times before finally settling onto Gu Yanqing’s shoulder, muttering under its breath, “Why am I the only one who doesn’t get any?”
Gu Yanqing glanced at it. “You don’t need to eat.”
“Not needing to eat doesn’t mean I don’t want to!” Xiaoyu kicked his shoulder indignantly.
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