After much deliberation among the masters, Hu Jiaping happily granted the disciples a half-day holiday with the reasoning, "These students just underwent rigorous cultivation tests this morning—let them rest for a day."
Had it been yesterday, the disciples might have scattered cheerfully to play. But with two of their peers expelled just this morning, no one was in the mood for leisure. Most remained in the Martial Training Field, diligently honing their Alchemical Furnaces further.
Lin You, surprised by their studiousness, remarked, "Hu boy, how did you get these kids to work so hard?"
Hu Jiaping chuckled. "Nothing special. Just sent two unqualified ones packing this morning."
Luo Chengji sighed. "To experience such harshness at such a tender age—their childhood innocence is already lost."
"In defiance of heaven's will, what place is there for innocence? The four masters will have to guide them to maturity from here. I have matters to attend to—excuse me." With that, Hu Jiaping vanished from the Martial Training Field in the blink of an eye.
Li Fei didn't linger there for long either. Ri Yan had warned her that Spirit Inhalation and Exhalation practice must not be witnessed by anyone. After chatting briefly with Baili Gelin and the other two, she flew off alone on her sword, seeking another secluded floating isle to continue her training.
Passing the isle blooming with red flowers, she couldn't help but glance back. The Academy's climate mirrored the mortal world outside, and mid-September wasn't the season for blossoms. The vibrant red flowers stood out starkly—she needed to find a way to prevent others from discovering them.
The thought led her to change course, landing softly at the isle's edge.
A gentle breeze carried the delicate fragrance of the flowers across her face. Under clear skies and white clouds, the scenery of emerald peaks, flowing streams, and crimson blossoms was breathtakingly beautiful. Treading carefully through the floral carpet, Li Fei scanned her surroundings warily—she had to stay alert in case someone appeared unexpectedly.
Suddenly, two streaks of golden light flashed across the sky. Without thinking, Li Fei threw herself to the ground, her small frame instantly swallowed by the waist-high grass and flowers.
Who was it? Lei Xiuyuan? She barely moved, straining her ears to listen. Then, without warning, a hand gripped her shoulder from behind. Startled, she nearly cried out—only for the same hand to clamp tightly over her mouth while another arm locked around her. A familiar voice whispered hotly in her ear, "Don't move. Don't scream."
Lei Xiuyuan?! Li Fei froze in shock. Had he been hiding here all along? Waiting for her? What did he want? Could he be planning to kill her secretly?!
At the thought, she instinctively struggled. His iron grip tightened—his hand crushing her face made her jaw ache and cut off her breathing through her nose. The pain only made her thrash harder.
"Keep struggling, and I'll really kill you." His voice was icy, devoid of emotion. She had no doubt he meant it and immediately stilled.
Ri Yan must have fallen asleep again, showing no reaction. If she used Spirit Absorption now, could she draw his spiritual energy? Just as Li Fei prepared to try, the cold, clear voice of the black-veiled woman rang out nearby: "Young Master Ping, why have you been pursuing me relentlessly these days?"There are others? Could the two golden lights in the sky earlier have been the Black-veiled woman? And who is this "Ping Shao"?
Li Fei immediately halted the spiraling spiritual energy within her body, lying on the ground in shock and uncertainty. Behind her, Lei Xiuyuan slightly eased his grip, though his fingers still lightly pressed against her face to prevent any sudden outcry.
Hu Jiaping's amused voice suddenly rang out: "A Mu, you've been avoiding me for years."
Huh? So "Ping Shao" is Hu Jiaping? He knew the Black-veiled woman before?
"You're mistaken. I was sent by my master to serve as a guard at Young Phoenix Academy. How could that be considered avoidance?"
Hu Jiaping replied calmly, "I never expected Master would assign you to Young Phoenix Academy. Had I known you were here, I'd have preferred to remain just an instructor at the academy forever."
The Black-veiled woman scoffed, "The master always praised you as a heaven-sent genius, yet you speak such spineless words! Besides, I'm not even human—just a weapon spirit!"
He fell silent for a long moment before sighing. "Listen, if I become a Celestial and live for hundreds or thousands of years, all alone... what's the point? But if you were with me, I'd gladly keep being that heaven-sent genius. Otherwise, I'd rather just be a fool."
"Spineless!" The Black-veiled woman spat these words as if preparing to leave, but unexpectedly, he grabbed the long black veil covering her from head to toe. The sound of delicate fabric tearing followed, accompanied by her brief gasp. Li Fei felt utterly embarrassed—could these two adults behave any worse? They should show some restraint in broad daylight!
Having lain in the grass for so long, the soft blades tickled and prickled her face. With Lei Xiuyuan pressed silently against her back, she dared not move, making the discomfort unbearable. When she tried shifting slightly, his fingers immediately reacted against her face, and she felt her jaw might dislocate from the pressure.
"You haven't changed at all." Hu Jiaping's mood suddenly brightened, his voice cheerful. "Your words are harsh, but your eyes still show concern for me."
After a long silence, the Black-veiled woman finally spoke. "Ping Shao, all these years, you've remained stubborn. When Temper Edge was broken, I never blamed you. You don't need to say or do these things out of pity for me. With the Mystic Sword shattered, I became useless to our master. Yet as a worthless weapon spirit, I still received his kindness—being sent here as a guard fills me with gratitude. I've resolved to let go of the past. Ping Shao, why can't you release these burdens too?"
Hu Jiaping laughed. "No, I won't let go."
"...You're no longer a mischievous child. Why are you still so willful?"
"I've been willful for ages. It's not news to you."
The Black-veiled woman had no retort, but then Hu Jiaping added, "Whether I pity you or not, you know the truth. Save your righteous speeches for Master—they won't work on me. With Sea Fall approaching, I've heard of an Otherworld Fire overseas that can split mountains and shatter stone. I'll retrieve it for you and reforge Temper Edge."
The Black-veiled woman gasped in alarm. "Overseas Exotic Fire?! You... How can anyone be so recklessly overconfident?"
Hu Jiaping roared with laughter. "For you, I feel capable of ascending to immortality by tomorrow!""...You're still as glib-tongued as ever." The black-veiled woman sighed softly. "I don't want Temper Edge to be reforged. Life at the Academy is good—leisurely and relaxed. I've never experienced days like these before. At first, it was a bit unfamiliar, but now, I find it much better than before."
Hu Jiaping lowered his voice: "A Mu, if you wish to stay at the Academy, stay. If you want to reforge Temper Edge and return to Master's side as a weapon spirit, I'll help you too—whatever you choose to do, I'll follow your lead. So please, stop avoiding me. I don't mean to force anything on you. You know me well—I'm that kind of scoundrel. The more you hide, the more I'll chase. Even if you're truly angry, I'll still pursue you."
The black-veiled woman suddenly let out a soft laugh. "You really are a scoundrel."
After these words, a long silence followed. Li Fei quietly exhaled in relief—had they left? She tried to move her numb legs, but in the next moment, Lei Xiuyuan's fingers tightened around her chin again. His voice was barely a whisper: "Don't move. They're still here."
Li Fei felt like her jaw might actually dislocate from his grip. Burning with anger, she dug her nails into the hand he had clamped on her shoulder, using all her strength to scratch his flesh. She could immediately feel his skin breaking and blood welling up, yet he remained motionless and silent, letting her claw at him without resistance.
Suddenly, Hu Jiaping's voice rang out again. He seemed to have plucked a red flower, speaking tenderly: "It's already August, yet the red flowers here are in full bloom—what a fortunate opportunity. A fragrant flower for a beautiful lady."
The black-veiled woman sounded flustered: "I... I shouldn't have... I must go. Zuoqiu Xiansheng likely has matters to discuss."
Light footsteps retreated, but Hu Jiaping suddenly called after her: "A Mu, may I see you again tonight?"
It was unclear whether she responded—a gust of wind howled past, suggesting she had already flown away on her sword. Hu Jiaping stood silently for a long while before abruptly speaking again: "You two little eavesdroppers over there, aren't you coming out? Or should I drag you out myself?"
They'd been discovered?! Li Fei felt Lei Xiuyuan release her abruptly. The moment she regained freedom, she scrambled up to stretch her limbs—half her body had gone completely numb!
Hu Jiaping appeared to be in excellent spirits. Even his attempt at a stern frown looked more like a smile as he approached the two. Seeing them covered in grass and petals, with Li Fei's nose and mouth flushed red, he feigned mild displeasure: "So young and already misbehaving! Your cultivation is still lacking, yet you're already experts in matters of love!"
Matters of love?! Li Fei opened her mouth to protest, but Lei Xiuyuan suddenly asked: "Sir, how did you notice us?"
Hu Jiaping tried his best to maintain a scolding tone, but his good mood betrayed him—the mirth in his eyes made him look anything but intimidating: "The spiritual energy over there kept fluctuating—only a ghost wouldn't notice! Given your youth and diligent training, I'll let you off this once. Next time you want to flirt, find somewhere private!"
Flirt?! Li Fei exclaimed: "I wasn't—"
"We understand." Lei Xiuyuan cut her off, suddenly taking her hand with a tender, bashful expression. Blushing, he said: "Sir, we apologize. Fei Fei and I couldn't help ourselves—it was love at first sight. We won't repeat this mistake."
Fei... Fei?! Li Fei violently shook off his hand, furious: "He's lying! Sir, I wasn't doing anything like that!"Hu Jiaping looked utterly unconvinced, smiling nonchalantly, "Oh? Then what were you two doing hiding in the grass? Somersaults? Or catching bugs? By the way, why did the flowers here suddenly bloom? Did you see anything unusual?"
Lei Xiuyuan loudly replied, "Oh, about the flowers blooming, it's because—"
"We didn't see anything!" This time, it was Li Fei who cut him off.
Both of them had secrets they couldn’t reveal. Lei Xiuyuan had used the excuse of romance to dispel Hu Jiaping’s suspicions. If she forcefully refuted and exposed him, he would surely retaliate. Things had escalated beyond what she desired. This Lei Xiuyuan was far more cunning and mysterious than she had anticipated, forcing her to stay on high alert.
Li Fei grabbed his sleeve, lowering her head and stammering, "We... we were busy being romantic and didn’t notice anything, right... Xiu Yuan?"
Lei Xiuyuan blushed and nodded, "Yes, sir."
Hu Jiaping shook his head at the sight of these two youngsters acting so lovey-dovey. Truly, the world was changing—even ten-year-old brats were starting to flirt! It suddenly made him feel old.
"It’s getting late. Hurry back to the Disciple Room," he said, shaking his head. "Don’t just stand around here."
The two silently flew on their swords, each landing on the southern island where the Disciple Rooms were located. After touching down, Lei Xiuyuan immediately walked away without a word. Li Fei, boiling with anger, shame, frustration, and curiosity, couldn’t hold back and called out, "Wait a minute!"
He stopped and turned to look at her, his face expressionless.
This guy was a master of changing expressions—crying on command, blushing at will. How had he even learned such skills?
"What were you really doing on that island?" she couldn’t help but ask.
Lei Xiuyuan replied coolly, "Then what about you? Why did you go there?"
Li Fei was momentarily speechless. She only suspected he was watching her but had no proof. She couldn’t just blurt out her own secret, could she?
"That hurts," Lei Xiuyuan touched the scratch marks on his hand, glancing at her. "Are you a cat or something?"
With that, he turned and left. Li Fei stared blankly at his retreating figure, feeling this boy was utterly inscrutable and impossible to figure out.
What was his goal? Thinking back now, it seemed he hadn’t gone to that island to wait for her. If he had something to say or do, there were plenty of opportunities—no need to chance a meeting on that floating island. Besides, they lived in the same courtyard. Running into him repeatedly there could only mean he had other business on the island.
What could it be? His attitude toward her always carried a hint of something different, making it impossible not to wonder.
"It’s almost dark. Aren’t you going back?"
A hand suddenly rested on Li Fei’s head, startling her out of her thoughts. She turned to see Hu Jiaping, dressed to the nines, standing there with a smile. She recalled how, earlier on that island, he had told the black-veiled woman A Mu that he wanted to see her again tonight. Now, before nightfall, he had already dolled himself up and come running.
At the sight of him, Li Fei was reminded of the earlier embarrassment. Anger, shame, and humiliation surged within her again. She desperately wanted to defend her innocence, but bringing it up now would only invite ridicule. All she could do was grit her teeth and bear it."Where's your little sweetheart?" He looked around. "One of you is gold, the other earth—both rare talents. Why don't you both come to No Moon Court in the future? It's really fun there!"
Li Fei gave him a helpless look. This man had been adamant about not poaching disciples just this afternoon, yet here he was going back on his own words.
"Just kidding, haha."
In high spirits, he ruffled Li Fei's hair and strode off confidently to find his black-veiled woman.
"Sir," Li Fei suddenly called out to him, remembering the matter of her eldest senior brother—she hadn’t had a chance to ask him about it before.
Hu Jiaping turned back curiously. "Something else?"
"You're a disciple of No Moon Court. I wanted to ask if you know someone who should also be a disciple there. He once apprenticed under a white-bearded old man who only knew bits and pieces of arcane arts and liked to swindle people by pretending to be mystical."
Hu Jiaping froze, his expression turning complicated. He stared down at her for a long while without speaking. After a long pause, he suddenly smiled and asked, "What do you need this person for? Let me tell you first, No Moon Court has tens of thousands of disciples—I can't possibly know every single one."
Li Fei briefly explained how she had been raised by her Master, who suddenly left a letter telling her to find her eldest senior brother. Hu Jiaping's face remained calm, giving no hint of his thoughts. When she finished, he pondered for a moment before saying, "I see. I don’t know this person, but I can ask around for you when I return."
Well, it wasn’t much hope, but at least it was a lead. Li Fei bowed to him and was about to leave when Hu Jiaping suddenly called out again, "You..."
What? She turned back.
He didn’t speak, just stared at her up and down. Li Fei felt unnerved under his gaze and murmured, "...What is it?"
Hu Jiaping quietly averted his eyes and said softly, "No, nothing. You can go."
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