Chapter 58: Chapter 58

Meanwhile, at the Jade Clarity Sect.

In the open area in front of the main hall, 120 first-year disciples who had passed the initial assessment were lining up to draw lots.

The entrance competition would officially begin early the next morning. Each disciple would face off against the person they drew and then against the person who drew them.

The sect elders would score their performance in these two matches, combine the results with their initial assessment scores, and select the top half to enter the inner sect.

Disciples who won both matches could continue competing. The last person standing on the arena would be rewarded with a 100,000 spirit token, usable within the Jade Clarity Sect.

Essentially, all the disciples hoped to perform well in the competition to catch the attention of the peak masters observing from the sidelines and become their personal disciples.

Jian Huan, however, was different. She simply wanted the 100,000 spirit token.

Becoming a personal disciple? She had no interest in that.

She already had a master.

The line for the drawing of lots slowly moved forward.

In front of Jian Huan, Jiang Mian was almost at the front. She clasped her hands together, making a final prayer: “Heaven, please don’t let me draw a sword cultivator, don’t let me draw a sword cultivator, don’t let me draw a sword cultivator…”

Jian Huan overheard and leaned over, poking Jiang Mian: “Cotton, have you ever heard this saying?”

Jiang Mian turned her head: “What?”

Jian Huan said with a straight face: “The more you don’t want something, the more it happens.”

Jiang Mian: “...Go away!”

Amid the banter, the two reached the front of the line.

Jiang Mian opened her eyes, took a deep breath, and picked a wooden stick from the lot-drawing box.

She quickly stepped aside, peeked at the stick, and immediately jumped for joy: “Hahaha, it’s not a sword cultivator! Heaven has been kind to me!”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Jian Huan pretended to cover her face, shielding them from the curious glances around, and casually picked a stick from the box before making way for the next person.

Jiang Mian leaned over: “What did you get?”

Jian Huan raised the stick and read: “Sword cultivator, Liu Qi.” She thought for a moment, then shook her head, “Never heard of him, who’s that?”

Jiang Mian’s smile froze: “Ah Huan…”

Jian Huan, noticing Jiang Mian’s expression, asked, “What’s wrong? Is he strong?”

Jiang Mian bit her lip, pulling Jian Huan to the back of the line, looking flustered and panicked: “Yes, he’s quite famous among the outer sect disciples. He’s the one I told you about before, the one with the bull face.”

Jian Huan suddenly understood: “Oh, so Bull Face’s real name is Liu Qi.”

The Bull Face Jiang Mian mentioned was the sword cultivator who had previously caused trouble at the talisman hall and beat up several of their fellow disciples.

At that time, Jian Huan and Shen Jizhi were in the Lotus Square Secret Realm, and Elder Yu Qing had been sent to the Dark Abyss to investigate the movements of the Demon Clan.

Elder Wei, who was away, had only given Bull Face a three-day confinement as a slap on the wrist, and the matter was dropped.

Jiang Mian worriedly said: “Bull Face won’t let you off easily. He’s also… at the seventh level of Foundation Establishment.”

A sword cultivator at the seventh level of Foundation Establishment could defeat a talisman cultivator at the first level of Golden Core, let alone another talisman cultivator at the same level.

This was why countless cultivators across the Nine Provinces were drawn to sword cultivation.

Jian Huan felt relieved upon hearing this: “Seventh level of Foundation Establishment? Not a big deal.”

Jiang Mian: “...”

Though it was a gentle and warm spring day, the atmosphere at the Jade Clarity Sect was as heated as summer due to the upcoming entrance competition.

On the second floor of the library, Jian Huan and Jiang Mian were making their final preparations.

Suddenly, something flew in through the window. Jian Huan’s eyes sharpened, and she reached out to catch it.

Jiang Mian, sitting across from her, looked up in alarm: “What’s wrong? What is it?”

Jian Huan turned her wrist, opened her palm, and revealed a pale pink peach blossom.

She was momentarily stunned, then quickly leaned out the window to look outside.

The afternoon sun was bright, and with winter gone and spring arrived, the ginkgo tree in front of the library had sprouted tender green leaves, swaying gently in the spring breeze.

Opposite the ginkgo tree were rows of peach trees. The peach blossoms were in full bloom, and the wind had scattered petals all over the ground.

Standing under the peach tree was Shen Jizhi, whom she hadn’t seen in three months.

The young man in black was as dazzling as ever, as if nothing had changed.

Jian Huan: “!”

Jian Huan’s face lit up with surprise. Without hesitation, she pushed the half-open window wide, stretched out her arms, and the spring breeze lifted the hem of her white disciple robe.

She fluttered down like a white butterfly, landing lightly in front of Shen Jizhi. She bumped his shoulder with hers, her smile bright and her voice clear: “I thought you’d died out there!”

He had been gone for three months without a word, and since he didn’t have a Xuantian Mirror, Jian Huan had been worried that he might have died without anyone to collect his body.

But then she remembered that he still had important antagonist plotlines in the original story, so he probably wouldn’t die so easily. He would safely survive for another two years, so she had stopped worrying.

Shen Jizhi’s half-formed smile froze: “...”

This was why he shouldn’t have made that talisman brush.

The little deer that had been prancing in his heart on the way here was now dead.

Shen Jizhi chuckled dryly: “Thanks to you, I’m still alive.”

Jian Huan crossed her arms and slowly circled Shen Jizhi, the hem of her white skirt brushing against the peach petals on the ground.

She suddenly paused, realizing something was off, and stretched out her hand to compare their heights: “Why are you taller?”

He was already quite tall, but after this trip, he had grown even taller??

Three months ago, she remembered reaching up to his neck, but now she only came up to his shoulder.

Shen Jizhi stood still, glancing down at her, and said calmly: “Maybe it’s not that I’ve grown taller, but that you’ve shrunk.”

“...” Jian Huan fell silent for a moment, then sincerely advised, “You should stop talking. You just got back today, and I don’t want to say anything harsh.”

Shen Jizhi: “.”

Jian Huan idly tossed the peach blossom in her hand, swaying slightly with a hint of excitement: “By the way, did you come to see me for something?”

Shen Jizhi’s eyelids lifted slightly, and with a flick of his finger, a few packages of pastries wrapped in brown paper appeared in his hand.

Jian Huan recognized the packaging—it was from the shop Jiang Mian liked.

Back in Yuxian City, she had bought pastries from this shop for Jiang Mian.

But actually, she liked them too.

Besides the pastries, there was also a cloth bag, though it was unclear what was inside.

Shen Jizhi held the bags out to Jian Huan, raising an eyebrow slightly.

Jian Huan was momentarily stunned, pointing at herself: “For me?”

Shen Jizhi nodded.

Jian Huan didn’t take them right away, asking first: “Do I have to pay?”

“...” Shen Jizhi looked at her in disbelief, shaking his head, “No, do you think I’m like you?”

Jian Huan eyed him suspiciously: “Then why are you giving me this?”

He wasn’t usually this kind.

Free things were always the most suspicious—he must have an ulterior motive.

Jian Huan’s eyes narrowed with caution.

Shen Jizhi looked up at the clear blue sky, closed his eyes for a moment to compose himself, then looked back down.

He reached out, grabbed Jian Huan’s wrist, and shoved the bags into her hands, sounding slightly impatient: “I don’t feel like explaining. Someone gave these to me, and I don’t like eating this kind of stuff.”

After saying this, he turned to leave: “I still need to report back to the Equipment Forging Hall. You can throw them away if you don’t want them.”

Jian Huan fumbled to catch the bags. She looked inside the slightly open cloth bag and saw fruit—apples, peaches, and her favorite, grapes!

One of the perks of the cultivation world was that off-season fruits were always available.

“Hey, hey, wait, wait!” Jian Huan called after him, leaning in with a gossipy look, “Who gave these to you? A teammate from your mission? Was it a guy or a girl?”

Shen Jizhi stopped by a peach tree on the side of the path: “What’s it to you? Just eat them.”

He didn’t have any teammates—he had taken the mission alone.

No one had given him these things.

But there was no need to tell her that.

“Oh, one more thing,” Shen Jizhi added, “Don’t throw away the cloth bag. Remember to return it to me.”

He could use it again later.

Jian Huan’s lips twitched: “...Got it.”

Holding the pile of food, she couldn’t help but feel a little sentimental, “Back when I traveled all the way to find you, and I was hungry in the middle of the night, you even charged me for a Fasting Pill. Who would’ve thought that now you’re so generous?”

Shen Jizhi: “...”

Behind them, the thousand-year-old peach tree was in full bloom.

They stood beneath it, the spring breeze occasionally tangling the hems of their black and white robes.

After a moment of thought, Shen Jizhi asked: “Your competition is tomorrow?”

“Mm-hmm.” Jian Huan nodded, opened the cloth bag, cast a cleaning spell inside, and then plucked a few grapes, offering them to Shen Jizhi. “Want to try?”

“No, I said I don’t eat them.” Shen Jizhi shook his head. “Who did you draw?”

“Alright, but you really should try them.” Jian Huan withdrew her hand, rummaged in her robe, and handed him the wooden slip. “Liu Qi.”

Shen Jizhi took it, glanced at it, and returned it to her. “Do you stand a chance?”

“Of course I do,” Jian Huan replied, her words slightly muffled as she chewed on a grape. “I can’t let our master down.”

After finishing the grapes, she used her spiritual energy to dissolve the skins and seeds into the air, clapped her hands, and said, “You came back late, so I wasn’t going to tell you. But since I’ve shared the grapes, I’ll bring you in on it.”

Shen Jizhi looked puzzled. “On what?”

Jian Huan gestured for him to come closer.

Shen Jizhi gave her a glance and leaned down.

She tiptoed slightly, tilting her head to whisper into his ear.

Her voice was soft, and it sounded different from usual—gentle and sweet. The faint scent of grapes mixed with the peach blossoms in the air lingered around him.

He lowered his dark lashes, his gaze shifting slightly to rest on her face.

Under the spring sunlight, Jian Huan’s fair complexion resembled the plump, juicy peaches he had picked from Granny Yao’s shop.

Her cheeks were slightly pink, with a faint layer of white fuzz that glowed softly in the sunlight. It looked as though a gentle pinch would make her skin burst with moisture.

After explaining the plans for the next day, Jian Huan took a small step back. “Got it? Since you’re here, I won’t go tonight. You can take my place.”

Shen Jizhi nodded. “Alright.”

Jian Huan waved goodbye. “Then I’ll head back to the library to continue drawing talismans…”

“Wait.” Shen Jizhi stopped her, pulling out a talisman brush and handing it over. His tone was calm. “Since you’ve brought me in, I’ll give you something else.”

“?” Jian Huan looked at the brush in her hand. It was a dull gray, but the bristles were of good quality, though they seemed familiar. “Uh, made from wolf hair?”

“Yes, but it’s not perfect. It’s a reject. The Equipment Forging Hall wouldn’t take it, but it’s still usable.” Shen Jizhi explained. “If there’s profit to be made in the future, remember to come to me.”

Jian Huan: “!”

Her talisman brush had been wearing out lately, and she had been planning to buy a new one.

This was what they called: when you’re sleepy, someone brings you a pillow.

She happily accepted the brush, looking Shen Jizhi up and down as she complimented him. “Not bad, Shen Jizhi. After being away for three months, you’ve learned to give me little gifts and get on my good side. Shen Jizhi, you’ve mastered social etiquette. You’ve grown up!”

Shen Jizhi: “…”

Shen Jizhi reached out, gently placing his hand on top of her head, and said softly, “Jian Huan, I hope you realize it’s not me who hasn’t grown up. It’s you.”

“Hurry up and grow up.”