Compared to this matter, the next two days passed by with little of note.
The preliminary selection for the Daoist conference had finally concluded. During these two days, Shang Can thoroughly familiarized herself with the layout of the Elegant Residence and generally grasped the patterns of the night patrols—indeed, they did not patrol the kitchen. After discussing with Wan Shao, she decided to explore the outskirts of Yanyang tonight.
As the competition resumed, Shang Can quickly won another match effortlessly. When she descended from the platform, Wan Shao, who had somehow procured a handful of sunflower seeds, had just cracked a few.
“… You might as well let up a bit?”
Reluctantly, Wan Shao divided the seeds with her, cracking them while advising her.
Although there were still many contestants and the competition felt akin to an open selection, Shang Can’s decisive victories drew considerable attention.
“I did let up,” someone behind them whispered about how Shang Can had dispatched her opponent with an elusive move. Shang Can pretended not to hear, secretly crumbling the sunflower seed shells into her palm and burning them without lifting her eyelids, saying, “I didn’t even draw my sword.”
“Then you might as well be throwing the match.”
It was as if she had written “I’m letting up” across her face for the world to see. Wan Shao felt deeply concerned, giving her a feigned glare, which quickly turned into a grin as she patted her shoulder.
“Beautiful win!” After saying this loudly, she quickly lowered her voice, grinding her teeth in anger, “These disciples of the immortal sect should be taught a lesson for their empty bragging!”
Upon hearing this, it was clear that Wan Shao was still harboring resentment over the male cultivator’s earlier comments. In contrast, Shang Can appeared much calmer. After finishing the sunflower seeds, she clapped her hands and magically produced a box of sesame candy, chewing thoughtfully while only half-listening to Wan Shao’s chatter.
“But you can’t keep playing like this in the later rounds. You have to at least pretend to exchange ten moves or something. Look, in all these bouts, no one has settled a match with a single move like you just did—”
“Ah!”
While she was speaking, a sudden gasp erupted from the platform as a sword flew from someone’s hand, spinning in the air before crashing down with a clang.
“Thank you for the lesson.”
The calm voice drew Wan Shao’s attention, and she looked up to see a figure descending from the platform, radiating an otherworldly grace. Meanwhile, the defeated opponent remained dazed on the platform, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
“Look.”
Shang Can’s voice came from beside her. Noticing Wan Shao’s gaze, she gestured towards the platform with her chin, her expression noticeably more cheerful than before.
“Isn’t that also a win with a single move?”
“…”
Wan Shao was left speechless, sinking into deep thought with a frustrated expression.
… What’s the deal with this? Is everyone from Qingyu like this?
If Wan Shao had felt somewhat good while watching the matches these past couple of days—after all, as a contestant who hadn’t qualified, she would soon be asked to leave Tainwaitian, yet thanks to that fake Shang Can’s commotion, she could still enjoy free meals and accommodation while watching the competition—she thought it wasn’t such a bad deal.
But by the time dusk arrived, the expression on Wan Shao’s face when she appeared before Shang Can was completely clouded.
“Tainwaitian has set up several layers of new barriers around it, one of which prevents demon clans from entering.”
“Damn it, they surely didn’t consider what to do with the demons already inside the barriers.”
After her outburst of anger, Shang Can finally understood: Wan Shao was trapped inside.
“…”
The previously pleasant days of eating, staying, and watching matches transformed into a prison life. Shang Can didn’t know what to say to Wan Shao; just holding back her laughter took considerable effort, provoking Wan Shao’s fury.
“Then you deal with that jerk yourself!” Wan Shao exclaimed, rolling up her sleeves and turning to leave angrily. “If you can’t handle it, don’t come back! At worst, I’ll just fight your next match for you! Ugh, I’ll just recreate your face tonight…”
Shang Can watched her leave, feeling both amused and concerned. Looking up at the sky, she fell into contemplation.
Actually, while this matter felt urgent, it wasn’t particularly pressing for Shang Can.
That night, she quietly landed and confirmed once more that no one was following her before continuing on her way.
After all, Tainwaitian had sent people to deal with that fake Shang Can, and her interference might complicate things further. Besides, the real Shang Can’s reputation was already in tatters; a couple of impersonators couldn’t surpass such a notorious name.
However… how should she put it? Since that fake Shang Can had harmed someone, it changed the situation for Shang Can.
Moreover, now that Wan Shao was indirectly trapped in Tainwaitian because of that person, there was no immediate danger, but one could never be too careful. The barriers set up by Tainwaitian were troublesome, especially the existing spiritual barriers that limited spiritual energy usage outside the arena, causing considerable unease.
In this world, everyone believes that those not of their kind must have different intentions, and the male cultivator from earlier was just one of the most ordinary representatives of this mindset. The divide between demons and humans was stark; Wan Shao accompanying her to Tainwaitian was already a significant risk, and she absolutely didn’t want Wan Shao to bear any more danger.
Traveling too far at night makes it easy to encounter ghosts; it was time to teach that fake Shang Can a lesson.
That night at the Elegant Residence, many were patrolling, but Shang Can easily navigated around them and reached a very secluded path.
Once out of this path, it led directly to the main road of Tainwaitian. At that point, the danger of being discovered would be minimal.
After all, when she had come to Tainwaitian for her studies in the past, she had often sneaked out, and she likely knew the paths better than the average disciple of Tainwaitian. Given that Tainwaitian hadn’t undergone significant renovations over the years, Shang Can remembered quite a bit about the routes here.
As she contemplated, she could see the corner of the road in the distance.
However, Shang Can’s steps gradually came to a halt, and she frowned bitterly.
She looked at the figure in white standing quietly at the end of the road, feeling a headache coming on as she pinched the bridge of her nose.
“… Do they even need to patrol such a small place? Truly worthy of Yun Zhongjun.”
Unmoved by her half-hearted compliment and showing no surprise at her presence, Yun Duan looked at her with an air of nonchalance, as if he had expected her arrival, though his elegant features momentarily flickered with surprise.
“What are you doing out here?”
“Stealing a chicken.”
Shang Can said, honestly lifting the chicken she had tucked under her arm, presenting it to Yun Duan.
“Today, I hit it off with this brother chicken, and I couldn’t bear to let it become someone else’s meal, so I snuck out to find it.”
She started to spin a tale: “Right now, I’m trying to set it free, and I absolutely mustn’t let it fall into the hands of the Tainwaitian cooks… I wonder if Yun Zhongjun could show a bit of mercy?”
“…” Yun Duan was silent for a moment, his jade-like eyes reflecting confusion as he hesitated to speak, “But… it’s already been plucked.”
Shang Can glanced at the—perfectly smooth, fully cooked chicken in her hands, realizing it was as dead as could be. No wonder even Yun Duan couldn’t be fooled.
There was no helping it; the Tainwaitian chefs were too quick. By the time Shang Can snuck into the kitchen, only these glistening, cleaned chickens remained, with not a single feather to be found. Given that she had already come, she had taken one, of course leaving behind some silver as well, intending to improve her poor meals in Tainwaitian later.
Initially, her plan to steal a chicken was to have an excuse in case she was caught again, but now it seemed utterly useless. Shang Can displayed an expression of profound regret over Yun Duan’s inquiry, pulled out a paper bag from her pouch, carefully wrapped the chicken, and then shoved both the chicken and bag back into her pouch.
She gazed at the sky, lost in thought for quite a while before finally throwing up her hands in defeat.
“Yun Zhongjun, just let me go this once, alright?”
In truth, she had already intended to give up, but for some reason, the words slipped out before she realized it.
Having said that so smoothly, Shang Can suddenly came to her senses, feeling a twinge of regret.
This was a phrase she often uttered when she was still Sister Yun Duan.
Shang Can had always been a good student, and after she arrived in this world, she was praised by her mentors as having the highest aptitude besides the legendary flawless immortal body, making the Qingyu cultivation courses seem excessively simple and often leaving her bored.
Even considering her previous age, she was still quite young in this place and often felt fearless, so she frequently… skipped class.
All the disciples of Qingyu had heard the teachers’ scoldings of Shang Can for being insufferable, yet whenever it came time to check assignments or practical training, she would appear nonchalantly, handing in her work without a single flaw, causing the instructors to feel both love and hate towards her.
“I heard that the teacher of the talisman course suggested adding attendance rate as a criterion in evaluating course performance…” Chu Ming, a disciple from Tian Shuo Peak who often tipped off Shang Can when needed, looked at his friend with a gentle tone, “You should be careful.”
This rule was clearly aimed solely at Shang Can; after all, there was no second disciple in Qingyu who skipped classes as frequently as she did.
“Let’s talk about it if they actually implement it,” Shang Can replied, intently polishing her sword without raising her eyes. “My master wouldn’t agree to that.”
She was able to be so carefree because she had a strong backing. The master of Yuheng Peak, Wang Yue, was completely laissez-faire with her. Whenever someone came looking for her, he would feign a few indifferent remarks and then turn around, crossing his legs and saying to Shang Can, “Who cares? As long as you learn.”
Thus, for the first few years at Qingyu, Shang Can grew wildly and freely.
Until Yun Duan became her junior sister.
“Senior Sister.”
Here we go again.
Shang Can opened one eye and quietly turned her head, and sure enough, she caught a glimpse of that familiar figure in white through the gaps in the branches. Yun Duan stood beneath a tree, looking up for a moment before moving to the next tree, diligently searching one by one.
The little one was still quite young, not tall, and the simple white brocade robe was rather oversized on her, wrapping around her slender frame. Her expression was calm and serious, which only highlighted her delicate beauty.
It had been over a month since she had been punished by Wang Yue for bothering Yun Duan and made to sweep the floor and copy texts. Shang Can had learned a bit of her lesson and somewhat agreed with Wang Yue’s words: “You can skip class yourself, but it’s not right to disturb others.” So she only sought out Yun Duan during her breaks.
She had initially thought this was the perfect arrangement. Wang Yue also tacitly approved, and the instructors no longer viewed her as a scourge that might lead to the loss of their prized student. Shang Can had more personal time—though she didn’t have much to do, like right now, just lying on a tree branch planning to take a nap.
However, Shang Can had not expected that her junior sister seemed somewhat dissatisfied with this situation.
Rather than dissatisfaction, it was more like a peculiar sense of mission.
For some reason, Yun Duan had started to frequently track down Shang Can when she skipped classes.
Of course, this was only after Yun Duan had finished her own classes. Everyone was pleased to see this; even her unreliable master, who cheerfully lent Yun Duan the celestial document that allowed her to check her disciples’ jade tokens, didn’t mind. Even Chu Ming, who had always supported Shang Can, hesitated for less than half a minute when Yun Duan asked about Shang Can’s whereabouts before decisively switching sides.
Only Shang Can was at her wits’ end. Out of respect for her junior sister, she felt that openly stating that she simply didn’t want to attend class was inappropriate. Thus, she was forced to live a game of hide-and-seek with Yun Duan, often sneaking her jade token onto Yun Duan to confuse her—though, to be clear, this act was against the rules of their sect.
But over time, even that tactic became ineffective. Shang Can watched in despair as Yun Duan dutifully called out “Senior Sister” under each tree, utterly baffled by how she managed to find her.
The best course of action right now was, of course, to escape before Yun Duan reached this tree. Shang Can had planned on doing just that, preparing to cast a spell to hide her presence. However, she paused and turned to look back.
Yun Duan had already searched over a dozen trees without any success. She didn’t seem angry, simply walking quietly to the next tree.
Her white robe billowed in the wind, and Shang Can couldn’t help but think, even though the sun was shining brightly today, they were still on the peak of Yaoguang Mountain, where the mountain breeze carried a cold chill.
Yun Duan’s body was weak; what would happen if she got cold?
On a whim, Shang Can reached out and rustled the branches in front of her.
This slight movement immediately caught Yun Duan’s attention. She looked in the direction of the sound, her gaze locking onto Shang Can, hidden among the leaves.
“Oh no, I’ve been discovered!”
Shang Can exclaimed dramatically, still staying put, just watching as Yun Duan approached the tree. Her clear voice playfully lingered in the air.
“Let me off the hook this time, okay?”
“No.”
Yun Duan’s response was firm and unyielding. Shang Can feigned disappointment, pretending to think for a moment. She reached into her sleeve, rummaged around, then mysteriously made a fist and brought it to her lips, opening her palm to blow gently.
A flurry of colorful petals fell from her hand, cascading down onto the unsuspecting Yun Duan, like a sudden rain of blossoms.
The surprise came quickly, but Yun Duan remained unfazed, her calm demeanor making Shang Can feel a bit regretful. Still, she insisted, “I brought you flowers; just let me go this once.”
“No way, Senior Sister needs to go to the spirit tool maintenance class.”
Yun Duan remained unyielding, looking up with an unyielding expression. But as Shang Can looked at the pink petals nestled in Yun Duan’s dark hair, she found it hard to take anything seriously.
“Alright, alright.”
For some reason, she changed her mind, flipping off the tree and landing silently in front of Yun Duan, pretending to bow respectfully.
“I’ll heed the wishes of Junior Sister Yun Duan and go to class now.”
“…” This time, Yun Duan was no longer her usual calm self. She turned her head stiffly and, in an awkward tone, called out softly, “Senior Sister.”
Shang Can felt inexplicably cheerful, grinning as she walked ahead, with Yun Duan quietly following beside her, her posture elegant and upright.
“How did you find me here? I thought I was hiding well.”
“I placed my jade token inside your clothing’s lining.”
“…Well, well, Yun Duan, you’ve also learned some crafty tricks; that’s not good.”
“Learned it from Senior Sister.”
“Hmm, your words have become sharper than before. By the way, it’s quite windy here; are you cold? Let me treat you to a bowl of mutton soup to warm you up. You’re too thin and need to eat more—”
“The disciples of Qingyu are protected by a spell and won’t feel cold.”
“Ah, right, I forgot.”
The two figures from memory walked side by side, gradually fading away, disappearing into the boundless forest.
Shang Can’s mind returned to the present, and she sighed inwardly.
Saying “let me off the hook” back then, Yun Duan wouldn’t let her go, and now, of course, she wouldn’t either.
As she was preparing to head back on her own accord, she saw Yun Duan blink and silently reach for the hilt of her sword at her waist.
Startled, Shang Can trembled, wondering if she had angered Yun Duan. Though she had just been joking around with a chicken, it shouldn’t be that serious…
Lost in her thoughts, she saw Yun Duan, who was only touching the sword hilt, simply caressing it a few times before lowering her hand, then softly speaking.
“Alright.”
“Okay, okay, I’ll go back right now—huh?”
As Shang Can obediently turned around, she could scarcely believe her ears. Hesitating, she slowly turned back, only to see the enchanting figure under the moonlight, a faint smile curving at the corners of her lips. The slight smile seemed to ripple through the air, making the ordinary alley appear noble in contrast to her breathtaking beauty.
Shang Can heard Yun Duan clearly repeat, “Alright, then I’ll let you off this time.”
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