Chapter Twenty-Two: Midnight Conversation

Watching the Azure Luan finally depart, Caiyao let out a long sigh of relief. At last, she was free from the constraints of that affair; for her, it was indeed a blessing. The terms she had agreed to were reasonable enough. Now, cultivating by Li Sibai’s side would yield twice the results with half the effort, and she need not worry about being plotted against. She could live freely and at ease, with no desire to return to the lofty heights of the Ninth Heaven.

Li Sibai was genuinely happy to see Caiyao’s troubles resolved. He withdrew his true energy from the Xuantian Sword, which at once grew dim and unremarkable again, and grinned at Caiyao. “Sister Caiyao, you’ve made up your mind then. From now on, you’ll have to stick with me, living on salted vegetables—no complaints, haha!”

Caiyao looked at Li Sibai, her eyes bright with delight. “Thank you, brother. I’ve absolutely made up my mind. If you follow me, there’ll always be meat to eat.”

Sibai was taken aback; he’d meant to tease his little sister but found himself outwitted instead.

Still smiling, Caiyao continued, “I didn’t expect you to withstand those attacks just now. Brother, you’re truly formidable. This sword, though it seems so ordinary, is really remarkable when wielded. From now on, I’ll follow you—so you must protect me just as you did today.”

Li Sibai nodded, then smiled gently. “This sword has quite the origin—it once belonged to the founding master of the Xuantian Sword Sect, Jade Void. The old tree spirit just gave it to me.” As he spoke, he glanced at the old tree spirit, who had quietly reappeared without them noticing, now watching the two young ones with fond indulgence.

Caiyao saw the old tree spirit too and turned to express her gratitude. She could sense someone had aided Li Sibai earlier, though the Azure Luan was oblivious. But Caiyao was certain. She then asked the old tree spirit about the sword’s origins. The ancient being was reluctant to elaborate, merely repeating the gist of what he’d told Li Sibai, while Caiyao listened intently, determined not to miss a word.

“It’s hard to believe this sword is so powerful. You must take good care of it—don’t let anyone snatch it away,” Caiyao cautioned, her keen perception immediately grasping the crucial point.

The old tree spirit burst out laughing. “You needn’t worry. The sword has already recognized Li Sibai as its sole master, sealed by his blood. Under most circumstances, there won’t be any problems. Still, a little caution never hurts.”

Both of them—youth and beast—were still young and inexperienced, with no elders to guide them.

Caiyao, in particular, had spent most of her time by the Jade Pool of the Ninth Heaven, knowing little of the affairs below. Thus, they took the old tree spirit’s words to heart.

Later, the three discussed what had happened to Caiyao earlier. She had been enjoying rare medicinal herbs by a hot spring, utterly delighted. Initially, nothing seemed amiss; the heavenly-grade beasts nearby had developed a consciousness to protect these precious plants and would not consume them directly, using them only when healing or advancing in cultivation. Caiyao, being high-ranked herself, carried enough authority that as long as she didn’t overstep, no one would question her for a brief indulgence. She was just eating when the Azure Luan suddenly appeared. Caiyao thought ruefully that she’d jinxed herself—what she feared had come to pass. Sensing danger, she grabbed a duck and ran, fleeing in a panic at first, trying to figure out a way to escape. Then she noticed the branches along the path seemed to shift, as if guiding her intentionally, and so she flew all the way here.

Li Sibai nodded, heaving a long sigh. “Let’s hope this matter ends here, and that Azure Luan will keep its promise.”

“And Caiyao, you must try not to act alone in the future. It’s too dangerous to go off by yourself.”

Caiyao was briefly stunned, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. She knew Li Sibai was worried about her, so she lowered her head and replied softly, “I understand, brother. I’ll be careful from now on.”

The old tree spirit watched them, narrowing his eyes and pretending not to notice, barely restraining his laughter so as not to burst out and injure himself.

Caiyao shot him a glare, and the old tree spirit couldn’t help but laugh heartily.

Night had already fallen.

They continued their conversation. Though it was the first time Li Sibai had met the old tree spirit, it felt as though they were old friends reunited after many years—there was no end to their talk. Not until the latter part of the night did Li Sibai finally fall into a deep sleep, with Caiyao settling down beside him.

The next morning.

The two bid farewell to the old tree spirit, who specially urged Caiyao to visit often and sing for him. Caiyao, having just promised Li Sibai last night, glanced at him now. Understanding her unspoken message, Li Sibai nodded his agreement to the old tree spirit, thinking that when the time came, he would escort Caiyao himself.

After this foray into the Dark Forest, Li Sibai felt newly confident in his own strength. Venturing into the forest’s depths would no longer be a daunting challenge for him.

Yet he worried about how Caiyao would obtain those precious medicinal herbs in the future. Most of them grew near the heart of the Dark Forest, around that very hot spring. He truly wasn’t comfortable letting her go alone. If he accompanied her, though, there were so many heavenly-grade beasts there. Caiyao might be tolerated, but as a disciple of the Xuantian Sword Sect, he would almost certainly be attacked. The Xuantian Sword Sect and the beasts of Jade Pearl Mountain had been at odds for years, hunting each other even within the Dark Forest. The beasts hated the Xuantian Sword Sect with a passion but dared not strike openly, deterred by the sect’s might and the terrifying Eight Trigrams Formation. If a lone disciple appeared before them, however, it would be just as his master often said: “Righteous and demonic cannot coexist!” When enemies meet, blood must be shed; there could only be a fight to the death.

Thinking of this, Li Sibai felt at a loss. He had no good solution. He glanced at Caiyao, who seemed untroubled, brimming with excitement as she perched on his shoulder, chattering and singing away. Truly, her singing was beautiful and melodious, uplifting to the spirit and purifying to the soul.

Their journey out of the forest went smoothly. Although many beasts were drawn by Caiyao’s song, the lesser ones dared not approach, recognizing they were no match. The more powerful beasts, meanwhile, were so absorbed in their cultivation, inspired by her singing, that they didn’t have the leisure to interfere or attack.

Thus, they left the forest without incident. Li Sibai had originally intended to complete a few more tasks, but remembering that he hadn’t returned last night and fearing that Uncle Cai Da might worry, he abandoned the notion and hurried back toward the sect.