
Su Jing sighed. Maybe she was worrying too much.
The soup was warm and delicious, and the dumplings were tender, with a soft texture that satisfied her hunger. Her body seemed to absorb the spiritual Qi well.
Of course, it didn't significantly affect cultivation, but Su Jing felt satisfied with this, too. She at least had now the energy to run around if she wanted.
Continuing to eat, her gaze went down to the busy street. Countless people were strolling around, carrying intricate swords. The sun made them shine beautifully as if it had imprinted an extraordinary power.
A stunning female cultivator, in tune with her flowing lavender robes, had such a splendid weapon. She had a slim, tall figure, and her hair was gorgeous enough to be held with high-quality jade pins. She stood not far from the restaurant, close enough for Su Jing to hear her from the upper floor.
"Is Elder Brother Wu thinking of dining in this restaurant?" Her voice was serene, like a fairy's. She gazed lovingly at the male cultivator beside her, holding his arm in adoration.
Regarding him, Su Jing found him not too far in looks either, as his attire had a green colour that complemented her clothes well. It looked even more expensive, if Su Jing could say since the material used seemed imbued in spiritual Qi. It was clearly a cloth used for defence.
Attached to his belt was a longer sword than the girl's. He was going to nod at her, but suddenly, Su Jing was surprised to see another character getting in between those two.
It was a woman. She wore a deep green and black combination, enough to gravely contrast the pale colours the others wore. Her hair was shorter, and the upper part was kept in two tiny buns.
"Older Brother!" she called, her voice aggrieved, "You don't even know how much I have searched for you. Why weren't you responding to my calling talismans? It got me really worried!"
Her lower lip trembled, giving the other woman fast and hateful side glances.
"Little Wan, "the man called her name, turning towards her. The girl immediately went closer and delicately pulled his sleeve to ensure the man's attention remained on her.
"You know you promised me we would hunt spiritual beasts together, right? Did you forget that, brother? I wanted to show you how much I improved my sword skills!"
The other woman frowned as she saw her, looking visibly annoyed. She nearly went to respond to her, but the man lifted his hand, signalling her to stop.
"Of course, I didn't. How could I?" The swordsman caressed Wan's face with his fingers, placing messy hair behind her ear." But little sister Wan might have to wait for that. We can hunt anytime, but a good meal is a rare pleasure, wouldn't you agree?"
The girl pouted. "Then elder brother needs to keep his word. You rarely get free time from our sect, so it would be a shame to miss that."
Oh, so they were sect disciples. Su Jing could only imagine they were part of one that put the accent on sword masters since they all seemed to hold swords. Su Jing watched them enter, curiously caught in this love triangle that just happened. A handsome man who appeared to be the love project of two cultivator women, yet he was hot-cold to both of them.
This smelled like an important male character, but she couldn't recognise him yet. He was too far away. She tried to lean over the window to see him better. Still, unfortunately for her, he had already entered with the two girls, disappearing from her range.
"Did something happen outside?" Ya Wen also stared out of the window while putting the chopsticks sideways.
Since it would be suspicious if she were to say she saw someone she knew, Su Jing shook her hands, not wanting to create baseless misunderstandings. "There were some cultivators outside who caught my attention. Their swords were so elegant, so I couldn't help but stare at them."
Ya Wen withdrew his gaze, though his attention still lingered outside. "They must be sword cultivators from a sword sect. North Yang City has this marketplace open only temporarily, so they are probably here to find opportunities to enhance their weapons."
A marketplace? That was why the streets were so full.
"Are you actually interested in swordsmanship?" Ya Wen asked, his tone a bit curious, "Though training usually begins from childhood, like in forging, you can still work it through with enough perseverance. It is not impossible. I have heard of generals in the mortal realm who defeated cultivators with just their will enough."
Not wanting to be too hasty in her decisions, Su Jing tried to broaden her answer. "For now, I am not really sure about my talents."
She knew Ya Wen's words were not baseless. If there was something mortals could do, like immortals, then that was swordsmanship. Although it was easy for them to quickly get overwhelmed if an immortal had trained their Sword Intent, the thing was - people in the mortal realm could also enhance their sword intent at the Cultivation Academy!
That was thanks to some immortal ancestors who built that academy to help mortals defend themselves from the aggressive spiritual beasts. This academy had annexes across the mortal realm, the smallest one, obviously in the Qin Country, where Feng Zhi Hao made a mess with the corrupt teachers.
Although Sword Intent only increased their agility, there were mortals talented enough to even physically show Sword Qi. Such a prodigy was Feng Zhi Haos's father, the head of the Feng family, who even trained with a master from the immortal realm. That was how he encountered Feng Zhi Hao's mother, an herbalist doctor and niece of his Master.
Their love was so strong that the mother willingly came to the mortal realm in hiding and became a teacher in pharmacology and medicine at the academy. The Master was opposed, so he fought with Feng Zhi Hao's father, dismissing him as a disciple.
Things were relatively peaceful initially, and Feng Zhi Hao was born with a title even more significant than a princess. She was engaged to the most favoured prince of the Qin Country, and other royal families even fought that decision, saying that their prince was better for such an esteemed lady.
After all, it wasn't strange for other countries to wish for such a connection with Feng Zhi Hao - they probably thought that her offspring would be even more powerful, which would guarantee who the following top-power country would become in the mortal realm.
Sadly, mortals habitually "breed" to obtain the best roots. As much as she was a mortal, Su Jing preferred to stay ostracised by immortals rather than become a "furnace" for some lesser noble.
That was most probably the case of her forced marriage. Those villagers sold her to a noble needing a weak, competent woman for cultivation. Unfortunately, she wasn't powerful enough to protect herself, so the very blessing of her roots became her curse.
She did not have the protection of two influential parents, like in Feng Zhi Hao's case. Feng Zhi Hao remained engaged to Qin Wu Rong, a simple prince of Qin because her parents wished not to be implicated in the power struggle of an even bigger kingdom.
Qin Country was small and peaceful, especially weak, but with the protection of the Cultivation Academy - it couldn't be carelessly attacked. Feng Zhi Hao would be like this, permanently protected while allowed to raise her head even above the royal Qin family.
Of course, her other prospective fiance candidates would encounter her later, making each one fall in love with her - such a case was the Prince of Wei, Wei Mu Xing. He was bound to be the "loyal dog" and that type of childhood friend the female lead carelessly forgot about.
And there were so many others - in simple words, any man with a robust background was bound to fall in love with her. But Wei Mu Xing was special because he was a fantastic mortal swordsman, almost on the same foot as the main male lead. He was the type of mortal Yawen mentioned - talented and powerful.
Naturally, it went without saying that Su Jing could also reach the level of a skilled swordsman. However, while she knew that wielding a sword could save her life anytime, what concerned her more was the ethics of sword masters.
Swordmasters often engaged in bloody duels, fighting for honour—or, as Su Jing saw it in the story, for their pride. To her, these battles were often pointless, drawing in any weaker cultivators with a sword attached to their belt - just so the stronger ones could feel powerful.
She wasn't really a fan of such a lifestyle. Looking towards Ya Wen, she wondered, "Has Senior any experience with swords? I had never even touched one until now."
Ya Wen wouldn't comment if he knew nothing about this subject. He nodded, and for a second, his eyes flickered. "I have some skills, but not enough to be called a Sword Master. My father used to train me when I was little but that was all of it."
Unconsciously, Su Jing looked at his cane, understanding his situation. Poor health and swordsmanship didn't really go hand in hand.
"Was your father a swordsman?"
If she discovers more about him, she might recognise him as a character. However, opposing her expectations, Ya Wen shook his head. "My father had the knowledge but not the constitution. Even my mother, though she was known for her fast sword flying, wasn't a swordswoman."
Still, his parents sounded like two great cultivators! Swordsmanship was hard to teach, so for them to train him meant that those two were quite noteworthy.
Su Jing tried to recall couples who weren't officially swordsmen but were known for their skills. Though several came to mind, she wasn't sure if any fit Ya Wen's situation.
"In my village, I often heard stories of immortals battling evil beasts and conquering demonic forces. I imagine your parents were such great cultivators!"
Su Jing lied so quickly, but seeing this was quite a delicate subject for Yawen, she couldn't help but stop there with the questions. Ya Wen's eyes were down as if reminiscing some memories.
"That reminds me. You said you had some talismans, right? Are they difficult to make?"
She could always change the subject to something else. After all, cultivation was often considered a legend in towns, so she figured her curiosity would seem natural.
To her relief, Ya Wen seemed at ease discussing this topic.
"Talismans are an expression of your mind, so it comes naturally to you once you master the basics."
He began rummaging through his sleeves. A moment later, he pulled out a thin piece of paper.
"This is a talisman I made. It's not of high grade, but it's something nearly every cultivator carries."
Su Jing leaned in to examine it, noting the intricate red ink patterns on the talisman. Even without touching it, she could sense a faint energy emanating. Ya Wen held it out as if inviting her to touch it.
Tentatively, she reached out, but the talisman disintegrated into dust as soon as her fingers made contact. Su Jing flinched, thinking she had done something.
"Don't worry, I was the one who activated it."
After Ya Wen said that, a strange, warm air embraced her body. The grime on her skin vanished, and to her astonishment, she now smelled of fresh roses. Her clothes sparkled as if newly washed.
"It really works wonders, right?" Ya Wen chuckled, watching as Su Jing marvelled at the transformation.
She had been uncomfortable all this time because of her dirty body, and only Heaven knew how much she desired to get a bath.
Feeling grateful, Su Jing almost wanted to kowtow to Ya Wen: "Thank you so much, Senior Wen!" Her curled hair began to get in her face. She ran her fingers through it, feeling the beautiful power of cultivation!
That's it. She will make talismans for a living! Through Feng Zhi Hao's lenses, she always found them lame, but she now sees them as cool!
Yawen put two more in front of her, "These will not activate without infusing Qi energy, so you can keep them for later. I already have too many since I am a Talisman disciple."
Su Jing took them into her hands, realising, even without experience, that these were done well.
"To be honest, I thought talismans were something only used for exorcising."
Of course, Su Jing already knew the deal about the type of practitioners, but she couldn't look familiar when she started posing as an uncultured village girl.
"Exorcising is a more delicate process, which can be done only under the watch of an experimented talisman master. I am not too knowledgeable about it since I haven't had the chance to encounter any ghosts yet. My Master doesn't travel that much either, so my abilities lie more in simple talismans and some formations and arrays."
If Su Jing wanted to learn to use talismans, she first needed to understand the basic theory of time and space, how to imbue spells and Qi into objects, and how to use them. Su Jing was sure talisman masters were the most numerous and inferior, so finding a teacher wouldn't be a problem.
She could do the same as Yawen since arrays and formations were the best defence mechanisms a cultivator like her could use. However, for that, she would need tremendous effort - and Yawen looked like quite a decent talent.
It might have been best to follow him to the Heavenly Clouds Sect. There were many risks, but having someone with exactly her interests in learning would have been the best way for her to kickstart her cultivation. She could also leave anytime and not be bound to any master.
Su Jing was just about to respond, wanting to discuss some other formalities from Heavenly Clouds Sect, but she was interrupted as quick knocks were heard on the door. Her gesture couldn't help but pause. Su Jing wondered who could be knocking, especially when other guests were not supposed to enter their room.
It was also clear from Ya Wen's expression that he hadn't expected to encounter anyone familiar, let alone receive an invitation. If more, he looked startled, making Su Jing can't help but stare at him for a moment.
"My apologies for disturbing you." In the next moment, the door creaked open slightly, and the waiter's familiar face appeared, bowing respectfully. He looked at both Su Jing and Ya Wen before continuing: "I came to inform you of an invitation. The other guests in the neighbouring room would like both of you to join them in sharing a meal."
Ya Wen exchanged a glance with Su Jing. Su Jing could understand if someone had invited Ya Wen alone—but why include her? Supposedly, she knew no one here apart from Ya Wen.
"May we have the cultivator's name? We have already finished our food, so, unfortunately, we will have to decline their request."
"The Young Master said you would know already his name. He also insisted the young mortal to accompany you too."
Ya Wen's posture stiffened as if a sudden realisation struck him. Su Jing couldn't tell whether it was relief or worry. Su Jing turned towards Ya Wen, but he seemed already looking at her.
"Is that alright with you? I will ensure you leave safely if you are feeling uncomfortable."
Leave safely? Was this person actually dangerous? Su Jing wanted to ask Ya Wen, but since the waiter was there, too, it felt awkward. She nodded. After all, being with Ya Wen was the best protection she could get. "It's alright for me. We can go."
Both rose and followed the waiter. The sound increased once they were out of the hallway, making Su Jing realise that those rooms had a soundproof mechanism.
They quickly reached the next door, and the waiter announced the person inside.
"Young Master, they are here."
There was silence for a few seconds before a man's voice sounded, "Let them in."
Su Jing had no time to analyse the tone because Ya Wen had already entered the room, forcing her to follow along. However, as soon as she saw the three characters seated inside, she realised why the man's voice was strange—he was the cultivator she had just seen outside!
He was at the head of the table, with the girl called Wan on his right. The other female was sitting on the windowsill, hugging her sword.
Ya Wen, showing his regard, cupped his hands in greeting. "We pay our respects to the esteemed cultivators."
Su Jing quickly followed Ya Wen's actions. She saw Wan's serene face fade, glaring especially at Su Jing. "A mortal? I thought you were joking when you said that to the servant, elder brother."
The Young Master also glanced slightly at Su Jing, which made her freeze when she saw his icy eyes. His smile, however, immediately warmed up. "You must be the guest of Cultivator Wen." He signalled them with his hand to come closer, "Please, come in."
His tone was friendly enough, but something made Su Jing uneasy. She glanced at Ya Wen, who maintained his calm demeanour.
"I appreciate the invitation, Young Master," Ya Wen replied evenly. "It seems our paths were destined to cross again."
The man gestured gracefully for them to sit. On the table, there were teacups for each seat, and an elegant kettle was placed in the centre, with light mist coming out of it. Ya Wen took his place directly across from Wan, who observed him with a reserved expression. Following Ya Wen's lead, Su Jing chose the seat beside him, wanting to position herself at a safe distance from the man.
"Senior brother, how come you know the Heavenly Clouds Sect disciples?" The woman perched on the windowsill moved and settled into the chair directly in front of Su Jing. With a thud, she placed her sword on the table, her expression darkening as she shot Su Jing an even more disdainful look.
"Cultivator Wen is someone I met at the last Seven Sects Tournament," Young Master Wu said. "He is not a swordsman, and I believe his companion isn't even part of the Heavenly Clouds Sect."
Ya Wen didn't object to that, nodding towards Su Jing. "Young Master is right. Actually, Cultivator Su and I have only just recently met. I was treating her to a meal for helping me, so I hope you will not consider her an adversary of Silver Sword Sect."
The young master tilted his head to look better at Su Jing, and once Su Jing noticed his attention, he smiled.
"Of course, you don't need to worry." The young Master paused. "I can clearly see Cultivator Su is from the mortal realm. The mere fact that she made it to North Yang City speaks volumes about her potential."
A wave of nervousness washed over Su Jing as all eyes turned to her, especially the young master's penetrating gaze, which felt like it could see right through her. She instinctively pressed her fingers against the table, seeking a moment of composure.
"Thank you, Young Master Wu," she replied, offering a polite nod to mask her unease."But I wouldn't dare consider myself too talented. My arrival in the Immortal realm had been due to a more powerful cultivator. They were the ones who brought me here to North Yang City."
"A powerful cultivator helped you?" Young Master Wu asked, appearing surprised. "That is really fortunate! Were they someone from the Heavenly Clouds Sect? Or perhaps an unaffiliated cultivator?"
"Unfortunately, I didn't ask about their affiliations." Since they do not even exist! "They helped me out of kindness, and I didn't want to impose too many questions."
She unconsciously averted her gaze from him. Unfortunately, in that way, she fully met Wan's scoff.
"You must really have rocks in your head. How could you ignore the person who saved your life? Are you that ignorant?"
An uncomfortable silence settled over the group.
"That..." Su Jing hesitated, "I'm grateful for the help, but it's not my place to probe into someone else's reasons. However, if I ever meet them again, I will surely compensate for their heartfelt gesture."
That would never happen, but who was gonna know?
Wan was gonna reply again, but she was stopped as Young Master Wu intervened. "No matter who they were, you were given the opportunity. Few mortals get to witness the immortal world so closely. What is important is that Cultivator Su is here."
Wan shut up and grazed at Su Jing.
"Elder Brother is right."
Young Master Wu smiled and took the kettle in his hand. He poured the green liquid into each cup, the faint steam carrying an earthy scent. Su Jing accepted hers politely and murmured, "Thank you," though the smell alone gave her second thoughts.
"This is a tonic we usually take at our sword sect. It is good for purifying your mortal bones."
So this was the meal Young Master Wu promised? Su Jing glanced at the cup suspiciously. Swordmasters followed strict body practices, avoiding rich or greasy foods to maintain discipline.
She lifted the cup to her lips and took a cautious sip, but her face scrunched immediately. The taste was unbearable—like stale water mixed with crushed weeds. Suppressing the urge to gag, Su Jing forced on a neutral expression and pushed the cup slightly away from her.
If this was what being a swordswoman required, she was certain—this path wasn't hers to take. At least when doing talismans, she will not have to sacrifice her tastebuds. Looking at Ya Wen, he drank without problems, as if used to the flavour.
"It is indeed of fine calibre. I had not expected less from someone from the Silver Sword Sect."
Young Master Wu acknowledged Ya Wen's compliment with a nod. "My Master gifted it to me for our training expedition. We came in search of some Leaf Fox fur, but unfortunately, due to the problems with my clan's fallen transportation array, I've had to remain here for several days with my sect sisters."
"Your Clan still hadn't found out what was the problem?"
Ya-Wen seemed to know what was talking about Young Master Wu. Su Jing couldn't help but feel somehow stressed. A fallen transportation array? Hadn't she just come through a gate that had fallen on the other side, in the mortal realm?
She instinctively lowered her shoulders, afraid of what were they discussing. Young Master Wu had a low smile and shook his head. "The array has gone unresponsive, leaving us with little choice. We're currently waiting for representatives from the Immortal Guild, who have only just begun their investigation into the formation. It could take several more days before the issue is resolved."
Ya Wen appeared to anticipate this response. "I see."
"As little as we know each other," Young Master Wu sighed, "I hope this hasn't hindered your travels too much, Cultivator Wen. I'd heard you were planning to head to the Immortal Guild Branch in Yang City a few days ago and relying on this array."
Take all the time you need, your health is more important