Chapter 53

Chapter 53: Well Done

In Pine-Wave Pavilion, tea was being brewed—and brewed, and brewed.

Qiu Yi Nong fanned the fire until her skin felt too hot, her patience stretched thin over polite smiles. How many times had she demonstrated already? Five? Six?

Tea arts were about mood and taste. Even as a Golden Core Stage cultivator, she couldn’t cheat by force. She had to fan the flame honestly, rinse the pot honestly, measure the heat honestly, and repeat the steps again and again.

“Look,” she said, voice carefully gentle. “Rinse the pot like this, then wash it again. The stream can’t break—steady, steady…”

Across from her, Bai Meng Jin watched with wide, earnest eyes. Every so often she asked another question, sweetly sincere, leaving Qiu Yi Nong no space to breathe.

At last, Qiu Yi Nong pushed a cup across the table. Her throat was so dry she lifted her own and drank quickly, just to wet it.

Bai Meng Jin blinked and reminded her in the same soft tone, “Senior Sister Qiu, you didn’t smell the fragrance first.”

Qiu Yi Nong froze.

It felt like her own words had slapped her across the face.

“Ah… right,” she managed, and forced another smile that tasted like ash.

Bai Meng Jin lowered her head dutifully, sniffed, and then frowned as if truly troubled. “Fresh and natural…? No… Senior Sister said there was a sweetness, didn’t you? Why can’t I smell it… Oh no, the tea is cold. It feels like the taste ran away.”

She looked up, apologetic. “I’m sorry, Senior Sister. I still couldn’t smell it. Can we brew another pot?”

Qiu Yi Nong’s eyes went faintly blank as she reached for the kettle.

Bai Meng Jin stopped her with polite concern. “Senior Sister Qiu, this water has already come to a rolling boil three times. It isn’t good for brewing anymore, right?”

Qiu Yi Nong closed her eyes.

A vein throbbed at her temple. For an instant, she almost hurled the kettle across the room.

Either this girl was so dull she felt no shame, or she was tormenting her on purpose.

Either way, there was no reason to continue.

But if she stopped now, halfway through, her image as a gentle, elegant Senior Sister would crack. This was a probe for her master. If she ruined it, how could she explain it later?

Just then, a disciple outside called in, “Senior Sister Qiu, the Sect Master requests Miss Bai.”

Qiu Yi Nong snapped back so hard it left her shaken.

She had been accepted by the sect master—her talent was excellent. Since reaching Golden Core Stage, her mind had been steady, her qi smooth. She had never expected that over something as small as brewing tea, she would nearly lose control.

She felt a surge of relief so sharp it was almost fear. If that disciple had come even a heartbeat later…

She didn’t notice Bai Meng Jin’s lips curve faintly, as if with regret.

[Bai Meng Jin had almost wanted to see what Senior Sister Qiu looked like when she truly lost control. If she made a scene… wouldn’t that have been interesting?]

Qiu Yi Nong stood, smoothing her expression into calm. “Miss Bai, please come with me.”

“Yes.”

Bai Meng Jin hid whatever she’d been feeling and followed.

The moment they stepped into Purple Sky Hall, every gaze swung toward them.

First glance: the girl was pretty enough. Had the Young Sect Master simply fallen for a face?

Second glance: the Jade-Tempered Body really was rare. And though her cultivation had come through an unexpected encounter, it was surprisingly stable.

Third glance: her posture and manners were acceptable. Nothing else stood out.

“This junior, Bai Meng Jin, pays respects to Sect Master Ling and to all the elders.”

With Qiu Yi Nong guiding her, Bai Meng Jin bowed.

“No need for such formality.” Ling Yun Gao lifted a hand. An invisible current raised her gently back to her feet.

“Thank you, Sect Master.”

Bai Meng Jin stood straight, eyes lowered—but from the corner of her vision, she was already noting faces around the tea table.

She had never met Ling Yun Gao before. In her past life, by the time her cultivation was complete, he had already been forced to step down by Ling Bu Fei.

As for the elders—some she had only heard of, some she had met, and some she had fought.

Back then, when the name Bai Meng Jin was spoken, who didn’t turn pale?

Now they only looked curious.

It was almost funny.

“I heard you saved Bu Fei,” Ling Yun Gao said, his tone warm. “As his uncle, I thank you on his behalf.”

Bai Meng Jin answered properly. “The Young Sect Master and I faced danger together. Helping each other was only right. I don’t deserve thanks.”

Ling Yun Gao nodded and changed the subject without wasting time. “Bu Fei said you two have pledged yourselves to each other. Miss Bai—what do you think of this engagement?”

Bai Meng Jin lifted her gaze briefly toward Ling Bu Fei, then looked down again, voice soft. “Sect Master Ling… that day, the Young Sect Master and I suffered together and formed a bond. He asked where I was going, and I said I was heading to the Cinnabar Cloud Palace. The Young Sect Master said my physique could help him smooth his true qi, and asked if I could come to the Limitless Sect instead. He said he would treat me well.”

Her lashes dipped. “I said…”

“What did you say?” Ling Yun Gao prompted.

“I said Perfected Chang Ling had already agreed to recommend me to Sect Master Cen. He showed me kindness, and I couldn’t go back on my word.”

A subtle shock ran through the elders.

Why would Chang Ling recommend a girl like this to Cen Mu Liang?

A Jade-Tempered Body was rare, yes—but she had already formed a devil heart. She couldn’t follow Cen Mu Liang’s sword path. And Cen Mu Liang already had Ning Yan Zhi, a genius disciple with the Innate Sword Bone. Why would he take another?

Unless this girl had something that could tempt him.

Yang Xiang Tian’s voice cut in. “Do you mean Perfected Chang Ling wanted Sect Master Cen to take you as a disciple?”

Bai Meng Jin hesitated just enough to look uncertain. “I can’t be sure. Perfected Chang Ling only said he would let Sect Master Cen take a look.”

“Repeat his exact words,” someone demanded.

Bai Meng Jin frowned, as if searching her memory. “That day in Azure Cloud City, when I woke up, Perfected Chang Ling checked my condition. He said he arrived too late. If he had been one step earlier, I wouldn’t have risked drawing in devil qi, and I wouldn’t have been forced to become a devil cultivator. He said… it was a pity, for my Jade-Tempered Body.”

“And then?”

“Then he said some things I didn’t understand,” Bai Meng Jin admitted, brow knitting. “Something about Yan Zhi’s sword body still being a bit lacking… and that if it could be tempered again…”

The elders went pale.

Bai Meng Jin didn’t understand, but they did.

No wonder Chang Ling had wanted to bring her back to the Cinnabar Cloud Palace. He intended to use her Jade-Tempered Body to temper Ning Yan Zhi’s sword body.

The Limitless Sect stood among the Upper Three Sects. In most things, it was not inferior to the Cinnabar Cloud Palace. But there was one regret the elders carried like a thorn—

Cen Mu Liang had taken in Ning Yan Zhi. In the next generation, the Limitless Sect had no one who could truly compare.

If the Cinnabar Cloud Palace used this girl to temper Ning Yan Zhi further, wouldn’t they dominate the next era outright?

The Young Sect Master had done well.

They absolutely could not let her go.

Yang Xiang Tian’s tone softened at once, as if he had never spoken harshly a moment before. “So that’s how it is. Coming to the Limitless Sect was the right choice. Since the Young Sect Master promised you marriage, from now on you are his fiancée. When the time is right, you’ll form a bond and dual cultivate. Isn’t that far better than going to the Cinnabar Cloud Palace?”

He turned to Ling Yun Gao, voice respectful. “Sect Master—don’t you agree?”

The elders nodded along, eager.

Elder Bei Feng nodded too. “Yes. Sect Master should decide this marriage.”

Under so many expectant gazes, Ling Yun Gao was silent for a breath.

Then he said, slow but clear, “Yes.”

*