Chapter 108: This Time, It’s the Mirror Master
(This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation)
Bai Ru Long’s health seemed sturdy—he could probably withstand a single strike. Ban Yang Shu’s cultivation was profound—perhaps he could endure two blows. Ji You silently made these calculations as he stepped into the room. He decided to show off a little by using Spiritual Qi to ignite a fire stone, lighting the oil lamp in the chamber.
[Why not cultivate the fire path directly instead of resorting to such trouble? Oh, that’s right, a mere disciple of the Heavenly Script Academy has only achieved Profound Comprehension and hasn’t yet reached the Dao Fusion Stage.]
Yan Shu Yi watched him quietly. As he approached, she noticed him extend a hand toward her. [Is he going to pinch my face again?] she thought. Without showing any reaction, she waited for his move, only to see his hand drop casually to pick up the teapot before calling for a servant to bring fresh tea.
“Annoying Heavenly Script Academy disciple…” she muttered under her breath.
“?”
Hearing her mumble, Ji You couldn’t quite gauge her mood. In truth, even Yan Shu Yi herself was unsure of her feelings. Her delicate features carried a hint of coldness, but beneath the tea table, her pink toes wriggled restlessly.
She hadn’t seen him in quite some time, and part of her did yearn to. Originally, her plan was to summon this Heavenly Script Academy disciple to Mystic Sword Peak, where she would command him to kneel before her and lecture him with arrogant authority as the Mirror Master of Spirit Sword Mountain.
But her uncle’s tea gathering disrupted those plans, delaying her for a day. Frustrated for half the day, she had been goaded by Zhuo Wan Qiu’s teasing, leading her to impulsively descend the mountain to see him herself.
However, now that she was here, her identity felt awkward. She didn’t know how to begin. Was she an unfamiliar beauty whom he had only met twice but found himself drawn to because of her looks? Or was she the imposing Mirror Master of Spirit Sword Mountain?
If she were simply the former, her words would undoubtedly carry a hint of coquettish charm. But here, at the foot of Spirit Sword Mountain, she was facing a man who dared to challenge the sect’s prestige. As the Mirror Master, she couldn’t afford to be overly kind.
Yet, if she played the role of the lofty Mirror Master, her initiative to come to his room felt contrived.
As these thoughts tangled in her mind, she suddenly noticed Ji You’s hand offering her a peeled pumpkin seed. Instinctively, she opened her rosy lips and ate it.
The people of Ling Prefecture were fond of roasted pumpkin seeds, a snack sold everywhere in the city. This one was particularly tasty. After chewing on it for a while, Yan Shu Yi’s brows furrowed slightly. She narrowed her eyes and remarked, “Heavenly Script Academy students truly are bolder than I imagined. Don’t you realize this is the territory of Spirit Sword Mountain? How dare you behave so presumptuously?”
Ji You instantly recognized the persona she had chosen to embody today. Bowing slightly, he said, “This humble one, Ji You, greets the Mirror Master of Spirit Sword Mountain.”
“Why do you not kneel upon seeing me?”
“If I kneel now, what throne will I have left to ascend in the future?”
Under the flickering light of the lamp, Yan Shu Yi stared at him for a moment, her gaze inadvertently lingering. Somehow, this third meeting revealed a man who seemed even more refined and handsome than before. His scholarly air had transformed into something more robust, his skin appearing smoother and more radiant.
The tea table provided by the inn was quite small, no more than half a foot wide. Sitting opposite each other and leaning slightly forward, the two were, in fact, very close.
Maintaining her cold and authoritative demeanor as the “**Mirror Master of Spirit Sword Mountain,” Yan Shu Yi suddenly felt her dainty foot—resting beneath the table—captured. Her delicate nose wrinkled slightly in annoyance, but she didn’t retaliate.
It wasn’t that Ji You was being audacious enough to deliberately offend the sect’s leader. The real issue lay in how this young woman—with her icy visage and sharp words—kept fidgeting her feet under the table.
The joy of reunion seemed to emanate entirely from her jade-like feet, shaking Ji You’s focus to the point of unease. To regain composure, he directly held them in his hand.
Her toes, round and lustrous, felt as though they had been exquisitely crafted. Cold yet soft, their usual restlessness ceased entirely in the warmth of his palm.
“Though Azure Clouds Dominion speaks of seeking the Dao, no one has dared attempt such a brazen approach in centuries. You walk so boldly into my Spirit Sword Mountain Sect, aren’t you afraid you might not leave alive?”
Yan Shu Yi did not kick him away. It was almost as if she tacitly permitted this audacious disciple of the Heavenly Script Academy to assess the feet of the Mirror Master herself.
Ji You straightened up. “I had no choice but to come.”
“The Heavenly Script Academy is as bold as ever. Even their disciples seem to lack agency in their own decisions.”
“It wasn’t an order from the academy. I came because I couldn’t let go of the thoughts I had about Spirit Sword Mountain Sect. I needed to see it for myself.”
Yan Shu Yi froze for a moment. Feeling the tenderness of his palm, she pursed her lips before feigning composure. “You must have heard about the tea gathering on Heavenly Sword Peak? The disciples of Dao Seeking Sect and Mountain and Sea Pavilion will attend. The Dao Seeking Sect has long sought your death. Aren’t you afraid?”
Ji You idly rubbed the cold arch of her foot. “The tea gathering was planned by Heavenly Sword Peak? No wonder. I knew that righteous Mystic Sword Peak wouldn’t come up with such a petty scheme.”
“For a mere disciple of the Heavenly Script Academy, your words are rather pleasing to hear.”
“In the presence of the Mirror Master of Spirit Sword Mountain, how could I dare to speak anything but the truth? Every word comes from my heart.”
Yan Shu Yi couldn’t resist kicking twice against his palm. “I had descended the mountain today intending to kill a few disciples of the Heavenly Script Academy, to show you what the swords of Spirit Sword Mountain mean. But you keep saying such pleasant things. How can I strike you down?”
Ji You raised his gaze. “You Bu Yu is on the first floor, staying in Room Jia-Zi. Shall I take you there?”
“Are you a traitor to the Heavenly Script Academy?”
“Not at all. It’s just that he’s had a personal grudge against me for a long time. He can’t resist insulting me every chance he gets. It’s maddening.”
Hearing him mention You Bu Yu, Yan Shu Yi suddenly recalled something. “Your group stopped at Pill Sect and stayed there overnight. Were you reluctant to leave?”
Ji You, anticipating this inquiry, responded calmly, “Reporting to the Mirror Master, the Heavenly Script Academy maintains friendly ties with Pill Sect. As we passed through Liang Prefecture, it was only natural to pay our respects.”
“I heard Pill Sect is currently seeking a husband for Elder Sister Cai Wei. They say someone named Ji You has caught her favor?”
“That Ji You is known for his exquisite looks. Countless women are enamored with him, but can he really be blamed for that?”
Yan Shu Yi let out a cold snort. “As expected, the Heavenly Script Academy is full of scoundrels. It’s no wonder the rumor about every disciple having a fiancée persists. Even if I killed one or two of you, I doubt anyone would mourn.”
Her words weren’t without foundation. Ji You felt a pang of guilt and, after some hesitation, picked up a pumpkin seed and fed it to her to test how much jealousy she was harboring.
The Mirror Master glanced at him, silently chewing the seed before speaking. “I want that hand of yours…”
“You dislike your own foot?”
“Audacious disciple of the Heavenly Script Academy…!”
Ji You switched hands to feed her another seed, watching as the regal air of the Mirror Master began to soften. It was unsurprising—after all, what respectable Mirror Master would sneak into the room of a disciple in the dead of night? Her attempt to intimidate him was laughable and quickly unraveling.
Under the gentle, moonlit night, the scene shifted as though it were a quiet winter evening in the small wooden quarters of the Heavenly Script Academy.
Yan Shu Yi leaned against the table, quietly eating the seeds. Her silky hair cascaded over the edge of the desk.
As the night deepened, the moonlight outside the window grew softer, illuminating her delicate face with a flawless glow. Her skin seemed purer than snow, and she gazed silently at her Cloud Summit Palace. A peculiar sensation stirred within her heart.
Each encounter with him had always been deliberate. She would lift her chin, puff out her chest, and look down upon him. Yet, in hindsight, it seemed she was always the one who got coaxed into yielding. What started as a whim to visit the Heavenly Script Academy now felt like a mistake.
Because she had shown leniency back then, she found herself in this predicament—able to look down upon the entire world but losing her composure before him. It was infuriating.
[Women are like this. Once they make the first move, they lose all leverage.]
Ji You’s gaze lingered on her as she reclined on the table, her willow-thin waist arching slightly. He narrowed his eyes, suppressing a smirk.
[Does this mean I got away with it?]
She hadn’t pried into what happened on Cinnabar Mountain. Had he really dodged this calamity? Perhaps he had been too cautious. He chuckled silently, recalling the absurd rumor of a woman streaking through the streets—such a pity he hadn’t seen it himself.
Returning his thoughts to the scene before him, Ji You marveled at its peculiarity. The atmosphere was tense, given how the Heavenly Script Academy had stormed to Spirit Sword Mountain only to be met with a cold reception. The air was thick with unease. Yet here was the Little Mirror Master of Spirit Sword Mountain, lounging before him, lazily nibbling on pumpkin seeds, her jade-like feet resting in the hands of a disciple from the Heavenly Script Academy. She resembled a sleepy cat, utterly unguarded.
If anyone else saw this, they’d think they were dreaming.
Ji You sat beside her, brewing tea and peeling pumpkin seeds. Outside, the night grew darker, the moon bright and the stars sparse. The silence lingered until Yan Shu Yi broke it.
“I’m leaving.”
She straightened and yawned, her jade feet retreating from the disciple’s hold. She stretched, slipped on her shoes, and stomped lightly on the ground.
Ji You poured tea with a steady hand. “You’ve just arrived. Why not stay a little longer?”
“Since when do my affairs concern you? Worry about keeping your own life intact.” Yan Shu Yi snorted dismissively. Before departing, she picked up her tea cup, sipped twice, and swiped three more pumpkin seeds that Ji You had peeled.
Her parents knew she was out. There was no way she’d spend the entire night discussing the Dao with the Heavenly Script Academy disciples in the foothills. He would ascend the mountain tomorrow, after all. Her visit tonight was merely a prelude, a way to see him in advance.
Ji You considered escorting her to the door, but she turned back and stomped on his foot before he could.
[Had I known, I’d have told her that Yuan Cai Wei already saw the treasure I meant for her first. Let’s see how arrogant she’d be then.]
Yan Shu Yi had already reached the middle of the corridor when she glanced back at him, her expression unreadable. With a flick of her sleeve, she vanished into the night, her presence masked.
By now, the inn was utterly silent. The profound night enveloped everything, save for Room A1 on the first floor, where spiritual energy surged. You Bu Yu sat cross-legged on the bed, sweat beading on his brow as he cultivated diligently. Despite his confidence, the proximity to Spirit Sword Mountain made him anxious, driving him to train harder.
Suddenly, a fierce gust swept through the room, slamming him off the bed.
“Who?!”
His eyes flew open, a trace of panic flickering within. Spirit Sword Mountain was proving more perilous than he’d anticipated.