Wu Qianyu slowed her weary steps and stopped beside a clear pond that was fed by a forest stream. There was a natural pebble beach at one end and a curtain waterfall at the other end. It was getting late and this was a perfect place to camp for the night.
She circled the pond and surveyed the area with her spiritual sense. There were all kinds of small creatures, insects, and birds in the vicinity but no dangerous beasts or demons. Anything that could put up a fight would have already fled ahead of her arrival.
She was no longer in the region of White Diamond Citadel but several hundred kilometers to the east. It was impossible for her to know of the recent developments at the citadel. She had not come across a single human for many days, let alone some random mercenary party sent by Zhou Guanyu.
Today, she had encountered a roving band of goblins which she dispatched easily. She also encountered several aggressive beasts that all fell before her sword. At least in this area of the wilderness, there was nothing that could stand up to someone like her at the minor realm of Spiritual Growth.
Wu Qianyu sat down next to the water, tired and dirty but satisfied. She contemplated her progress while eating a small meal consisting of rice balls, preserved fruit, and supplemental spiritual pills.
Her Dao of pain was improving steadily. She felt that she was close to another breakthrough in her Touch of Pain. Perhaps she would be able to incorporate it into a sword attack soon.
Her shoes eventually came off and her sore feet touched the cool water. And as dusk fell away into darkness, her dusty robes stained with beast and demon blood came off as she submerged her naked body for a much-needed bath.
Wu Qianyu cleaned herself under the waterfall before laying down in a shallow spot. She rested her head and stared up at the night sky. Under the light of infinite stars, her thoughts began to drift.
Sleeping in the dream array for a month let her relive many moments of her past, happy moments in the Green Leaf Sect with her parents and her junior brothers and sisters. What she was doing now reminded her of all the times she led them into the forest to study and collect herbs. During those trips, they would often camp out near rivers and lakes. The girls would try to play in the water while the boys would try to peep. Every trip was filled with laughter and joy, tender moments of fellowship and family.
And each one of those memories was a painful reminder of what she had lost.Wu Qianyu let out a shuddering sigh and shook the dark thoughts away. She had a new family now. She had Chen Wentian, her master and lover. She had her sisters, each unique and interesting in their own ways.
She smiled as she recalled each one of their faces, especially that handsome dragon immortal who always seemed to sport an awkward yet teasing smile. He always set her mind at ease and made her heart flutter without any effort.
She sat up suddenly as she remembered that they had given her gifts for her recent breakthrough. She had been so engrossed in her cultivation that she had forgotten completely.
She studied the contents of her camouflaging spatial bag and pulled out the first item. It was from Bei Yingluo and was a homemade healing salve made from desert herbs. Wu Qianyu wasn’t sure what benefits it had over healing pills but she appreciated the gesture.
Putting the bottle away, she studied the others. Long Yifei’s gift was an archaic poem she didn’t understand. Jasmine’s gift was a fox fur blanket though Wu Qianyu doubted that the fur actually came from the fox immortal.
The ice sisters each offered something different. Su Xue gave her some kind of fragrant wine. Su Yue gave her a box of fancy pastries. Xu Lanyi gifted an ornate dagger, Song Wushuang a silk nightgown, and Li Yuechan a hair ornament made of snow pearls. Their gifts perfectly portrayed their personalities and interests.
Zhou Ziyun’s gift was to be expected. It was a complete collection of five tomes detailing every beast and type of humanoid demon she was likely to encounter in the Eastern Wilderness. Wu Qianyu appreciated the thought even if reading wasn’t her hobby.
Wu Qianyu set aside the heavy books and finally came to Lin Qingcheng’s gift.
“This…” She was stunned.
The object was long and cylindrical, with a slight curve. It was made of ivory and polished until it was silky smooth. There were squiggly grooves along the side and a cap on one end that was oddly shaped like a rough cone.
It looked oddly familiar but she couldn’t quite grasp where she had seen it before…
Then, a slip of paper fell off from the base of the object. Wu Qianyu caught it and read Lin Qingcheng’s messy handwriting.
“Elder Sister Wu, since you are going off to practice sword arts, I think it’s best if you took master’s personal sword with you. It is the only one of its kind in the world and I will miss it dearly. But I am giving it to you since you will need it more than me. Hehe!”
“Master’s sword?” Wu Qianyu wondered, “How can this be master’s sword?”
She gripped the shaft and waved it around like a sword handle. Nothing happened. She wondered if she was doing it wrong and held it with both hands, letting her right palm rest around the bulbous head.
Wait…
She froze in astonishment and embarrassment. Her heartbeat raced and her body suddenly became weak.
Plunk! The so-called sword left her limp hands and dropped into the pond.
Wu Qianyu jerked out of her daze and scrambled to rescue her master's sword. Before it had sunk to the bottom, she found it and held it to her chest as if it was a precious treasure.
“Chengcheng, you scoundrel!”
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