She fell into the water, but didn’t feel much pain.
The moment the giant wave surged, Shang Can thought about dodging it.
But for some reason, her body seemed paralyzed, unable to move according to her thoughts. She could only watch as the waters of the River Wangchuan swallowed her whole.
Swept into the river by a thunderous wave, Shang Can slowly sank.
Surprisingly, her mind remained calm. She tried to move her hands and feet and realized she had regained control over her body, but it was useless.
Shang Can knew how to swim, but perhaps because of the strange properties of the River Wangchuan, no matter how she flailed, she couldn’t float up. She even felt powerless to summon her spiritual energy, slowly sinking down with an unstoppable certainty.
… There’s danger everywhere. Am I just having bad luck today?
Somehow, she could still think about such things. Shang Can realized her vision was slowly being taken away, and everything around her became a muddled blur. She couldn’t tell if she was sinking or rising.
Her shoulder was burning. Shang Can suddenly remembered that there was a flame resting there. She tried to summon it, but even the heat from the flame was growing fainter, and soon, it disappeared without a trace.
That’s right. Shang Can thought with resignation. Fire can’t burn underwater.
Her sight gradually faded into darkness, and when her thoughts grew hazy and unclear, she seemed to glimpse a flash of white in the murky depths, followed by a distant, cold voice.
“—Shijie.”
This is really bad.
With her eyes half-closed, Shang Can absentmindedly looked at the familiar figure in white robes and black hair. An absurd feeling arose in her heart.
… What should I do? I’ve fallen into the River Wangchuan, and now I seem to be caught in a hallucination.
Yun Duan must be… really worried now.
She stared at the blurry figure for a long time and then reached out her hand.
“Puhah!”
Shang Can burst out of the water, her head suddenly emerging, and someone immediately grabbed her wrist and pulled her ashore.
Her whole body felt like it had fallen apart, limp and powerless. Collapsing onto the ground, she clutched her chest and, after a few attempts, finally vomited up the water she had swallowed, mixed with dark red blood that spread across the ground.
“Shijie, are you okay?”
Someone gently patted her back, their voice filled with unmistakable concern.
Shang Can’s head was buzzing, and it felt as though her thoughts were wrapped in a thick layer of fog. It was hard to focus, making her irritable.
“When you were meditating on your heart’s question at Qinglian Lake, Shijie fell off the lotus leaf.” The familiar voice continued. “Many people experience the same thing. You actually held on for quite a long time. I brought you up as quickly as I could—how do you feel? Still uncomfortable?”
Qinglian Lake, meditating on the heart’s question.
Shang Can’s heart stirred, and she suddenly looked up.
Before her were Yun Duan’s clear eyes, filled with worry. Her wet black hair clung to her ears, making her look a bit disheveled, but she didn’t care, focusing only on Shang Can with genuine concern on her face.
… However, Yun Duan seemed younger than Shang Can remembered, her appearance not quite matching her memory.
Shang Can stared in confusion for a while, then turned her head. The vast expanse of lake and sky before her instantly captivated her.
Behind her lay the massive lake, with lotus leaves and flowers scattered across its surface. A gentle breeze stirred, creating a breathtaking scene.
But right now, on some of the large lotus leaves, there were still young cultivators sitting with their eyes closed, their faces twisted in various degrees of discomfort. Meanwhile, in the lake, even more of them were struggling, just like Shang Can had, after falling into the water during their meditation.
… Is that how it was? Did I fall off the lotus leaf and get pulled up by Yun Duan?
Shang Can, still in a daze, tried to understand what had just happened, but her thoughts were interrupted by sharp pain, and she lowered her head with a soft gasp.
“Shang Can, this is the second time now.”
Suddenly, a familiar, teasing voice sounded beside her, and a dry cloth was placed over her head, temporarily blocking her view.
Shang Can absentmindedly pulled down the cloth and looked up to see the young Chu Ming.
“Are you just incompatible with Tianwaitian?” he joked. His expression grew serious when he glanced at the blood Shang Can had just coughed up. “This didn’t happen when we were meditating on Qingyu Island… We should probably head to the infirmary.”
“Tianwaitian…”
Shang Can mumbled the words, feeling the cloth taken from her hand. Someone gently began drying her face.
“Tianwaitian’s meditation on the heart is rigorous, Shijie. Don’t worry too much,” Yun Duan said softly as she wiped Shang Can’s hair. “Let’s get you out of these wet clothes and then head to the infirmary together.”
“… Alright.”
Shang Can stared at Yun Duan’s flawless, delicate face, and the vague sense of unease in her heart gradually dissipated.
That’s right. She was the top disciple of Qingyu’s Yuheng Peak, currently studying at Tianwaitian. She had just lost focus during her meditation and fallen off the lotus leaf.
But that’s okay. Most people fail to pass the meditation at Tianwaitian. It’s normal.
I should just focus on recovering now, and then go to the infirmary to figure out why I coughed up blood.
As for everything else…
Shang Can lowered her eyes, allowing Yun Duan to continue drying her hair.
… She’d think about it later.
“What? Did all of you pass the heart-reflection test?”
After leaving the infirmary, Shang Can grumbled, weighed down by several heavy packets of medicine.
“Yes.” Chu Ming, who had missed the whole incident, added cheerfully. “Especially Yun Duan, I heard she finished her heart-reflection in less than ten minutes. She was the first one to open her eyes.”
Hearing that, Shang Can immediately brightened up, beaming at Yun Duan, who stood calmly beside her. “That’s amazing! You’re incredible, Duan’er!”
Yun Duan, who had remained expressionless when Chu Ming complimented her earlier, now blushed slightly and lowered her head. “Maybe my heart-reflection was just easier.”
“I disagree. There’s no such thing as an easy heart-reflection at Tianwaitian,” Shang Can corrected her seriously. “Everyone uses Qinglian Lake as the medium for the test, and though the content is said to vary from person to person, the difficulty shouldn’t be that different.”
“Exactly, exactly. Otherwise, how could Shang Can have failed it twice?”
“…Chu Ming-shixiong, are you looking for a fight?”
Shang Can’s usually gentle smile took on a sharp edge as she looked at him. Chu Ming immediately shrank back, laughing nervously. “No, no. Shang Can-shimei, you’re injured right now. I think it’s better if we don’t fight.”
“That’s nonsense. I feel perfectly fine. I could even beat you with one hand tied behind my back.”
“Shijie, don’t be reckless.” Yun Duan intervened, her gentle eyes showing concern. “You were coughing up blood just a moment ago. If you hurt yourself during the heart-reflection, it could be serious.”
“I don’t think I’m that weak…” Shang Can’s earlier bravado faded. She sighed, hefting the medicine bags. “And I think that physician didn’t really know why I was coughing up blood. That’s why he gave me so many strange tonics. Can I not take them?”
“No. I’ll prepare the medicine for you when we get back.”
“…You really don’t have to. I can do it myself. I don’t want you to dirty your clothes—”
“No.”
“…Alright.”
Seeing how sincere Shang Can was, Yun Duan softened her tone a little. “Once you finish the medicine, I’ll make something sweet for you.”
Shang Can perked up again at that, but when she turned to look at Chu Ming, she noticed an indescribable expression on his face. Frowning, she asked, “What’s with that look? You seem like you have something to say.”
“Nothing, really,” Chu Ming paused, then continued, “I just feel like… I’ve come to understand the saying ‘there’s always someone who can overcome you.'”
Shang Can immediately took this as a challenge. She began rolling up her sleeves, but before she could respond, Yun Duan spoke up.
“Shijie, do you remember what you saw during the heart-reflection?”
“Hmm…”
Momentarily distracted from confronting Chu Ming, Shang Can thought for a while, then shook her head.
“…I can’t really remember. I just recall darkness… like I was floating, and my body felt awful.”
“And then—” She frowned deeply. “It seemed like I heard someone say something…”
Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced through her mind like a needle, and Shang Can let out a light hiss, raising her hand to her temple. The two people beside her immediately tensed up, stopping in their tracks.
“Shijie?” Yun Duan quickly replaced her hand with her own, gently massaging Shang Can’s temple. “It’s alright if you can’t remember.”
“Yes, don’t force yourself.”
Chu Ming nodded solemnly, offering an explanation. “The heart-reflection test is about questioning your own heart. It’s a delicate technique, deeply personal, so it’s normal for the memories to become fuzzy afterward. There’s no need to dwell on it.”
“…Fine.”
Although she still felt a little uneasy, Shang Can mumbled her agreement and decided to let it go for now.
“That said, this is my second time taking the heart-reflection at Tianwaitian.”
She sighed, her tone carrying a hint of frustration.
“…Why am I the only one who never passes? It’d be nice if I could at least get through it once.”
“Be grateful.” Chu Ming smiled as he reminded her, “Last time, even though you didn’t pass the heart-reflection, you still came out on top and took home the best spiritual sword Tianwaitian had that year.”
Recalling the scene from back then, Chu Ming chuckled. “The disciples of Tianwaitian were so furious, their noses were practically bent out of shape. They kept shouting about how it wasn’t fair.”
“Unfair?” Shang Can shrugged innocently. “But it’s true they didn’t beat me in the final tournament, right?”
“Exactly.” Chu Ming squinted nostalgically. “You fought beautifully. Even Elder Huang, who couldn’t stand you, didn’t have anything bad to say. He just muttered something about ‘a fine bird choosing a good tree, and a spiritual sword choosing its master.’ Only a few people were upset.”
“Shijie has always been amazing.”
Before Shang Can could respond, Yun Duan calmly nodded, her tone carrying a hint of regret. “At the time… I wish I could have gone to see it for myself.”
“There was no helping it. You weren’t old enough to go on study trips back then.” Shang Can patted Yun Duan’s head comfortingly. “But I’m here with you on this trip, aren’t I? Everything Chu Ming is talking about is ancient history. You didn’t miss much.”
“Exactly.” Chu Ming nodded in agreement. “Shimei, don’t worry about the Shang Can from back then. She hasn’t changed much.”
“…”
Clearly taking advantage of Yun Duan’s presence, Chu Ming kept talking, while Shang Can gave him a frosty look. “Back then, during her first heart-reflection at Tianwaitian, she sat on a lotus leaf for an entire hour. Everyone was waiting on her. And in the end, she still fell into the lake.”
“And the first thing she said when she got out of the water was: ‘My legs went numb’…” Chu Ming laughed at the memory. “Honestly, we all suspected she might’ve dozed off on that lotus leaf.”
“…Shixiong, do you understand the concept of moderation?”
Noticing Shang Can smiling warmly again, Chu Ming quickly sobered up and was just about to change the subject when Yun Duan looked at Shang Can.
“Shijie, did you actually fall asleep back then?”
“I don’t really remember. Maybe.”
Chu Ming sighed inwardly, accustomed to the difference in treatment. He knew if he had asked that question, Shang Can wouldn’t have bothered answering and might have shot him a cold glare instead.
“Anyway,” Chu Ming said wisely, steering the conversation away, “given the quality of this year’s disciples, I’d say Yun Duan is almost guaranteed to take first place.”
“Don’t put too much pressure on her.”
Shang Can immediately glared at Chu Ming, scolding him seriously. “Just do your best. The final tournament uses sharpened weapons, and swords don’t have eyes. It’s more important that Duan’er doesn’t get hurt.”
“Anyone with eyes can already see Duan’er is the best. Even if she doesn’t take first place, I can just give her my sword.”
As Chu Ming marveled at Shang Can’s protective and slightly indulgent way of teaching, Yun Duan gently shook her head. “It’s alright. I’ll win.”
“As long as you don’t get hurt.”
Seeing the clear, unwavering determination in Yun Duan’s eyes, Shang Can smiled. “I know Duan’er is strong.”
“But don’t stress about it. It’s just a small competition for the study trip.”
Her face soft with a warm smile, Shang Can unfastened her sword from her waist and handed it to Yun Duan.
“In any case, Shijie will give you Wuyou.” (Worry-free)
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