Fenghua Venerable had already shut her mouth. She couldn’t say too much about their training, lest her petty junior sister use it against her.
She even used a secret technique to lower her presence, making Hua Jian and Linglong subconsciously ignore her.
“Still, that means we won’t get to see who finally becomes the Chai Clan’s patriarch.” Hua Jian sounded a bit regretful.
She’d wanted to see how Wanhuagu would maneuver Chai Xianyun into the role, but it seemed she’d miss the performance.
No way Wanhuagu could move that fast in just a few days.
If they really did, she was sure Hudaosi would step in to curb them.
“I’ll go find Chai Xianyun tomorrow and tell her. Maybe she doesn’t even want the job?”
“Phew, that’s a relief. Thanks for your help this time.”
“No need to thank me.”
As they left Fenghua Venerable’s room, Hua Jian quietly thanked Linglong.
Linglong had helped cover her mistakes, so not saying thanks would be ungrateful.
“How should I repay you? Just say the word!” Hua Jian patted her chest generously.
Linglong glanced at her. Did Hua Jian not know that some words shouldn’t be said so carelessly?
“Anything at all?”
Hua Jian nodded quickly. “Of course! Whether I’ll actually do it is another matter!”
‘Say whatever you like, but I’ll do as I please’—how logical, Hua Jian!
So that’s the trap, huh. Linglong thought. Many excessive demands couldn’t be made.
If she pushed too far, Hua Jian would turn her down flat, and Linglong would get nothing.
She had to pick just the right request. After some thought, Linglong came up with one Hua Jian couldn’t possibly refuse.
“Then spar with me.”
Hua Jian froze mid-step.
She stared at Linglong in disbelief, as if facing some unreasonable deity.
“What’s wrong?” Linglong turned to Hua Jian, puzzled by her reaction.
Surely Hua Jian couldn’t refuse such a request?
It was just a training bout. Hadn’t they just fought yesterday?
Fighting Hua Jian was meaningful for Linglong—the girl’s attacks always pressured her in ways no other cultivator of the same rank could.
Dodging Hua Jian’s ambushes from every angle was exhilarating.
She wanted to experience that thrill again—what was wrong with that?
“Nothing, just thought you’d ask me to treat you to dinner or something. Didn’t expect this.” Hua Jian pressed her forehead and sighed.
The little dragon girl really was odd. Serious when she shouldn’t be, and vice versa.
Or maybe Linglong had always been this way—Hua Jian just had some prejudice.
Maybe Linglong really was a steel straight woman, always seeing her as a sister, never thinking in any other direction.
All Hua Jian’s ideas were groundless.
“I’m not short on money. No need for you to treat me,” Linglong shook her head, not a petty person.
What’s the difference, after all, between her treating Hua Jian and Hua Jian treating her?
They’d eat together either way.
Would Hua Jian refuse an invitation to good food?
A few spirit stones was nothing to her!
That was the confidence of the wealthy!
But getting Hua Jian to spar willingly—that was a rare opportunity.
If she didn’t use it now, Hua Jian would only find excuses to refuse later.
“I get it, you’re rich. So when do we start?” Feeling a bit self-conscious, Hua Jian caught up to Linglong.
A spar with Linglong, huh? She nearly won yesterday—today, she’d prove she could win a second time!
……
Dreams are full, but reality is cruel. Hua Jian sadly realized she was performing worse than a training dummy.
Wow, she couldn’t get back into yesterday’s rhythm at all. How had she managed to dodge Linglong’s lightning so effortlessly yesterday, even ambushing her?
Why was she always a beat too slow trying to repeat it today?
As for her imagined counterattacks, they never came. From the start, Linglong kicked her around like a ball.
Crack!
A flash of lightning struck a few fluttering flower petals in midair, knocking Hua Jian out of her Flower Escape.
She rolled twice on the ground, then stood up, disheveled and dirty. “Again!”
She refused to believe her sober self was worse than her drunken self!
But Linglong had already sheathed her Ling Sword. She’d struck Hua Jian three times already—any more, and Hua Jian might really get hurt.
Through these exchanges, she’d seen the difference between today’s Hua Jian and yesterday’s.
“Yesterday, you were more decisive and agile, determined to defeat me no matter what. That’s something you lack today.”
Walking over, Linglong took a handkerchief from her storage pouch and handed it to Hua Jian. “Wipe your face. It’s filthy.”
To put it plainly, yesterday’s Hua Jian was like a wild beast, today’s was weighed down by human emotions—which hampered her combat.
Hua Jian took the handkerchief and wiped the dirt off her face. “So I should ask the Peak Master for that spice as my secret weapon?”
She could save it for fights—just a whiff would turn her into Super Hua Jian, strong enough to beat any opponent.
“Over-reliance on external things isn’t good. You should learn to master that power yourself,” Linglong advised. Depending on something like that always had hidden dangers.
If yesterday’s Hua Jian could fight her to a standstill, there was no reason today’s couldn’t.
The only difference was that yesterday, Hua Jian was muddleheaded, and today, she was clear-headed.
What she needed to think about wasn’t how to get more spice from Lingcaifeng Master, but how to master that state.
“Easy for you to say. I have no clue where to start.”
“Keep practicing, and you’ll find it. I can spar with you every day.” Linglong smiled.
Something about that sounded off to Hua Jian, but she couldn’t say what.
She still hadn’t figured out why it felt weird, even after returning to her room.
After dinner, the elusive Lingcaifeng Master arrived again, lugging a giant bucket.
Thud!
She dumped an even bigger jade bucket in the middle of the room, announcing a new idea—maybe Hua Jian wouldn’t get dizzy during the bath this time.
“The last few days, you absorbed the medicinal energy too quickly. This time, I’ll reduce the dosage and let you take it in slowly.” Lingcaifeng Master pointed to the clear water in the bucket.
Hua Jian didn’t really get it, but she knew she had to climb in again.
“Just get in. I’ll use a spell to shield your body.” With a wave of her hand, white mist wrapped Hua Jian up.
What a useful spell! Hua Jian’s eyes lit up, seeing how the fog covered her with no gaps.
The perfect anti-peeping defense!
She took off her clothes one by one and tested the mist—it changed shape with her movements. Impressive.
From Linglong’s point of view, it was like Hua Jian was draped in a robe of white mist. Even knowing there was nothing underneath, nothing could be seen.
But then, she’d already seen it before anyway.
As Hua Jian jumped into the bucket, the mist faded. Lingcaifeng Master tapped the edge, red runes lighting up inside.
The warm water began to heat up, and Lingcaifeng Master slowly added herbs bit by bit.
The whole process looked like making hotpot, with Hua Jian as the main ingredient.
This time, the plan worked—Hua Jian didn’t get dizzy. The water, however, slowly took on a faint color.
When the water turned colorful, the herbs inside started to change.
They dissolved bit by bit, and in the blink of an eye, all traces of spent herbs vanished.
Lingcaifeng Master watched closely but kept adding more.
Now, she started tossing in unprocessed herbs—just yanked straight from the ground.
Hua Jian thought it was normal, believing the colorful water was the Peak Master’s creation, and was even a bit impatient for her to toss herbs in faster.
But Linglong frowned, sensing something was off. The Peak Master seemed to be experimenting.
The colored liquid in the bucket shouldn’t be part of any normal medicinal bath.
When Lingcaifeng Master took out a board entwined with Magical Vines, Linglong’s confusion peaked.
That didn’t look like any herb!
But Lingcaifeng Master didn’t toss it in, instead placing it on Hua Jian’s head and removing the seal.
The vines went to work, and the board turned ashen, becoming dust.
Tiny colored petals grew on the vine, floating down—some into the pool, some onto Hua Jian.
The petals in the water melted away, but those on Hua Jian shattered into points of light, merging into her body.
“Fēngzhǔ, what is this…” Linglong instinctively looked to Lingcaifeng Master. This was almost too much for her to process.
Lingcaifeng Master made a shushing gesture, then told Hua Jian the bath was over for today.
“From now on, never bathe with others, especially not in spirit springs, understand?” After pulling Hua Jian out and drying her off, Lingcaifeng Master gave a stern warning.
Hua Jian didn’t get it, but nodded anyway.
“Mm, I won’t!” She was a pure girl, after all, not the type to bathe with others.
“Linglong, make sure to keep an eye on her. Never let her do that, got it?” The Peak Master looked to Linglong.
Linglong stared at the ominous colored liquid in the bucket and nodded hard.
This left Hua Jian confused—was this really so important? Even Linglong had to supervise her…
It was like she’d kill someone just by bathing together.
“Help me carry this bucket back.” The Peak Master pointed at the huge tub left behind.
Linglong got the hint—she wanted to speak privately. She nodded, walked over, and hefted the bucket with ease.
For a Spirit Master, it was nothing.
Already in her pajamas, Hua Jian couldn’t leave, so she could only watch them go.
“Are you coming back to sleep?” she asked as Linglong went out.
Linglong paused. She had no idea how long the Peak Master would talk.
Lingcaifeng Master answered for her: “Of course. I just need Linglong’s help for a bit—don’t worry, she’ll be back.”
“Oh, good.” Hua Jian was relieved. If she’d be back soon, it couldn’t be anything major.
……
Once they left Hua Jian’s courtyard, Lingcaifeng Master waved her hand, bringing them straight to her own temporary residence.
“Peak Master…”
“I know what you want to ask. That colored liquid is dangerous—possibly the most terrifying poison in existence.”
She motioned for Linglong to set down the bucket, then tossed in an ordinary Spirit Fruit.
This time, the Spirit Fruit didn’t dissolve. Instead, countless Magical Vines sprouted inside it, draining its energy and blooming into pretty, colored flowers.
The vines quickly withered, the petals drifting onto the colored water.
Next, Lingcaifeng Master opened a cage and released a black bird-shaped Spirit Beast.
This was a Spirit Master-level beast. Freed, it darted into the tub like a drunkard to a wine spring.
Moments later, the familiar vines burst from the Spirit Beast’s body, turning it and the Spirit Fruit into colored petals.
“I think I understand.” Linglong got the point—if it worked on a Spirit Beast, it’d work on a cultivator, too.
“Hua Jian’s identity is unusual. I have only a rough idea, but…” Lingcaifeng Master paused, feeling her theory was bold, but it was the most likely answer.
Everything about Hua Jian pointed to one thing: “Hua Jian may not be human—or at least, not entirely human.”
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