Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, two more months had passed. It was now the depths of winter, and the countless islands of the Academy were blanketed in endless snow. Snowflakes had been falling for days, making today's clear weather a rare occurrence. The pristine white snow gleamed dazzlingly under the sunlight.
In the special training Martial Training Hall on the eastern island, Li Fei's group of four was engaged in combat practice under Hu Jiaping's guidance. Though called a training hall, it was actually an ordinary room enhanced with the Immortal Technique "Universe in the Sleeve," replicating the miasma-filled forest from the Second Selection, albeit on a much smaller scale.
Li Fei was currently hiding behind a tree, her spiritual energy stirring as a thin layer of mist enveloped her. Gradually, her figure vanished into the fog—this was the Mist Illusion, one of the basic water-element Immortal Techniques and the simplest form of an illusion spell.
Listening intently, she detected faint footsteps approaching from the west. Peering cautiously, she saw Baili Gelin emerging slowly from the depths of the forest. Gelin looked around warily, as if confirming no one was nearby, before her gaze settled on a black stone pedestal in a clearing.
On the pedestal lay an ornate box—this was the objective Hu Jiaping had set for their exercise. The first among the four to retrieve the item inside the box would win, while the other three would have to copy an entire book from the Book Collection Pagoda.
Just as Baili Gelin was about to touch the box, Li Fei prepared to move. Suddenly, Ji Tongzhou let out a loud shout, and flames erupted instantly, swelling aggressively toward her. The illusion spell could no longer be maintained, forcing Li Fei to dispel it and evade. Moments later, as the flames dissipated, she saw Ji Tongzhou charging toward the pedestal. Baili Gelin, surrounded by swirling ice, flicked her wrist, sending a volley of tiny green leaves at him—though seemingly harmless, even a single leaf could sprout countless vines to bind a person tightly. Having suffered from this before, Ji Tongzhou barely managed to dodge.
Seizing the opportunity while the two were locked in combat, Li Fei attempted to grab the box first. Unexpectedly, the ground beneath her trembled, and golden light shot up from the soil while more rained down from above. Li Fei recognized this as Lei Xiuyuan's Supreme Harmony Art—a metal-element Immortal Technique capable of piercing through anything. Ice walls wouldn't hold against it. Reacting swiftly, she summoned a ring of ochre light to shield herself. A series of metallic clangs rang out as the golden light struck her earth-element defensive barrier, the ochre glow dimming until it nearly vanished. At that very moment, Li Fei's hand reached the box.
Simultaneously, three other hands landed on the box. Ji Tongzhou snapped, "Let go! Do you all want to copy books together?"
Baili Gelin glared at him. "Why don't you let go first?"
Ji Tongzhou couldn't be bothered to argue with a girl. He turned haughtily to Lei Xiuyuan. "Hey! Let go!"
The two of them never seemed to get along, always bickering. Lei Xiuyuan replied calmly, "I touched the box first."
Ji Tongzhou flared up. "No, it was me! My finger touched it first!"
"Then I touched more—my entire palm was on it."
"You're lying! Hmph, well, my whole arm was on it!"
Lei Xiuyuan glanced at him. "Why not say you were standing on top of the box?"Standing on the brocade box? Li Fei almost laughed in frustration. Sigh, it looked like today would be another day of all four of them copying books together. She rubbed her aching fingers—after days of nonstop copying, they felt like they were about to fall off.
Hu Jiaping’s figure appeared before the black stone shelf. He glanced at the brocade box, then at the four children opposite him. None of them were willing to concede—one would grab the box, only for another to yank it back. The whole scene was chaotic and noisy.
"Seems like another tie today," he said with a grin. "Guess that means you’ll all have to copy another book."
Sure enough, another round of copying! The children’s faces instantly soured, and they trudged out of the Special Martial Arts Arena, utterly dejected. Suddenly, Hu Jiaping remembered something and called out, "Oh, right. There’s a test tomorrow. Starts at mid-morning, gather in front of the Special Martial Arts Arena. Don’t be late."
All four of them froze. What test?! There hadn’t been any warning at all!
"Forgotten already?" Hu Jiaping shook his head. "The Five Elements Basic Immortal Technique test, along with the Spirit Root Attribute Immortal Technique test—both at once. Alright, off you go. And don’t forget to hand in your copied books tomorrow."
Ji Tongzhou gasped, "We have a test tomorrow and still have to copy books?!"
"You don’t have to copy," Hu Jiaping chuckled. "Just spar with me and last two incense sticks’ worth of time."
Without another word, all four children immediately took off on their swords. There was no way they wanted to spar with that infuriating teacher! Last time, Baili Gelin had complained about copying being exhausting, and Hu Jiaping had offered the same deal—last two incense sticks, and they’d never have to copy again. Back then, the four of them had confidently agreed, only to…
Just remembering that scene made their skin crawl. None of them had even managed to touch a single hair on Hu Jiaping’s head. Instead, they’d been subjected to his Tickle Spell, rolling on the ground laughing until they nearly cried. Since then, none of them dared mention sparring again.
During the lunch break, while everyone else was eating at the northern dining hall, the four of them miserably trudged to the Book Collection Pagoda to find their books. Other disciples either practiced or rested after meals, but their group was still hunched over their desks, copying furiously. The disciples under other teachers were so lucky!
Especially that female disciple from the Fire Lotus Temple who had replaced Lin You—she spoke softly and gently. Ye Ye and Baili Changyue’s group was under her, and it was said she never lost her temper. If they didn’t understand something, they could always ask her. Meanwhile, their own teacher, Hu Jiaping, forced them to copy books at the drop of a hat—utterly merciless.
While they were copying, a male disciple kept coming back and forth, trying to get Baili Gelin’s attention. She ignored him until finally, exasperated, she snapped, "Are you going to copy this for me?! If not, get lost!"
The boy flushed red and stammered, "O-okay, Ge Lin. For you, I’ll copy it."
Baili Gelin immediately shoved the brush into his hand and walked off with a radiant smile, leaving the poor boy dumbfounded, stuck doing her work for her.
The other three in the group were long used to this. Baili Gelin never lacked male attention—one day she’d be laughing with a Zhao, the next admiring the scenery with a Wu, and before long, she’d moved on to a Hong. Almost none of the male disciples in the Academy had escaped her grasp.To be honest, Li Fei could hardly remember what Baili Gelin used to be like before—certainly not like this. She still joked and shared her thoughts with Li Fei, still bantered affectionately with Ye Ye and the others, but something had undeniably changed. Whether this change was good or bad for Baili Gelin, Li Fei couldn’t say. But Gelin smiled every day now and never cried anymore—perhaps that was a good thing.
By the time everyone else had finished eating, they hadn’t even copied half of the book. Ji Tongzhou’s hand trembled from writing, and in frustration, he threw his brush aside and stormed off, likely heading back to the Disciple Room to buy a meal.
He had been eating alone at the northern dining hall before, but after Lan Ya Junzhu tearfully begged him several times, he finally agreed to have lunch with her in the Disciple Room every day. Even after nearly half a year at the Academy, the noble Lan Ya Junzhu still maintained the airs of royalty, refusing to dine with commoners—quite the spectacle.
The boy helping Baili Gelin with copying wore a resentful expression. He glanced around, set down his brush, and muttered, “Um… where did Gelin go? When will she be back?”
Lei Xiuyuan continued writing absentmindedly and said softly, “Probably off enjoying a romantic moment with someone else.”
The boy’s eyes instantly welled up with tears as he stared at Xiuyuan with a helpless, bewildered gaze.
As the saying goes, one word can make someone laugh, and another can make them jump—Lei Xiuyuan was precisely that kind of person. Heaven knew how Brother Lu had raised him to be like this, suddenly dropping a sly remark that left people unsure whether to dislike or like him.
The boy ran off in tears, barely having copied a few lines. Gelin would probably fly into a rage when she returned. Li Fei packed up her writing tools and started eating a vegetarian meal. Midway through, she felt someone’s gaze on her. She looked up and met Lei Xiuyuan’s clear, dark eyes.
“What is it?” she asked.
Lei Xiuyuan replied calmly, “Haven’t you noticed? You’ve changed so much—it’s like you’re a different person.”
What did he mean? Was he referring to her personality or something else? Li Fei was momentarily stunned.
His beautiful eyes shifted to her side. Li Fei turned and saw an unfamiliar boy at the next table staring at her. The moment she noticed, he blushed and lowered his head, not daring to look again.
She was still confused. Why was he looking at her? Did he know her?
“Never mind. It’s better if you don’t realize,” Lei Xiuyuan said with a faint smile before falling silent.
What on earth did that mean? Li Fei was completely baffled.
In the end, Lei Xiuyuan never clarified. That day, the four of them copied until the moon hung high in the branches before finishing the book, all of them exhausted, pale, and with cramped fingers. Ji Tongzhou looked like he was about to collapse from sleepiness, but today was his turn to return the book. The merciless teacher Hu Jiaping insisted they finish copying and return it the same day—or face the Tickle Spell as punishment.
Rubbing his dry eyes, Ji Tongzhou mumbled incoherently, “Whoever returns the book for me today gets a thousand taels.”
After repeating it three times with no response, he staggered out, bumping his shoulder against the doorframe and nearly tripping over the threshold. Seeing how drowsy the others were, Li Fei—who had too much on her mind to sleep—said, “I’ll go, but not for the money.”Ji Tongzhou stared at her blankly, clearly still lost in his dreams and not comprehending a word she said.
Li Fei took the book from his hands and smiled. "I'll do it for a friend, but not for payment."
Ji Tongzhou stood frozen for a long moment before nodding sluggishly and patting her shoulder. "Thanks."
Under the pale moonlight, the floating islands of the Academy were blanketed in pristine snow, the mingling of white and silver light making the surroundings as bright as day. Li Fei flew alone on her sword toward the Book Collection Pagoda, her thoughts preoccupied with Ri Yan, leaving her sleepless. Two months had passed since their return from the Restricted Area, and Ri Yan still hadn’t woken.
She raised a hand, fingers threading through her hair as she combed it slowly. Ri Yan had once told her he concealed himself as one of her strands—she had plenty of those, enough that even her braids were thicker than most. But which one of these countless strands was he?
That day, he had been startled awake by the Demon Qi from the seal on the Golden Lion’s back. After barely managing a few words, he had fallen back into slumber. She had assumed he’d only sleep a few days longer than usual before waking again, but he had remained unconscious ever since. Two months had slipped by, and she realized—she missed that tiny white fox, no bigger than a thumb.
What if he never woke up? A flicker of panic passed through her. Lately, the thought kept surfacing unbidden, and the fear and sorrow it brought were feelings she never wanted to endure again.
Just like the day her Master had suddenly left, she had felt that same abrupt loneliness of abandonment. Even with friends around, laughing and chatting every day, friends weren’t the same as Ri Yan or her Master. At some point, Ri Yan had become a substitute for her Master in her heart—always irritable, yet someone she could rely on. It was because of him that she had gradually adapted to life at the Academy. Meeting him had marked a new beginning in her life.
Ri Yan, when will you wake up?
The winter night was clear and still, devoid of wind. As Li Fei landed before the Book Collection Pagoda and reached to push the door open, a sudden rush of wind sounded behind her. Startled, she turned to see Lei Xiuyuan descending slowly to the ground.
"What are you doing here?" she asked curiously.
Lei Xiuyuan didn’t answer, simply stepping forward to push open the pagoda’s door himself. Darkness and silence greeted them from within. Li Fei had never returned a book this late—she hadn’t realized the pagoda would be completely unlit at night. It was eerie, sending chills down her spine. The Black-veiled woman’s threats from when she first arrived at the Academy suddenly resurfaced in her mind—what now? She wasn’t sure she dared to go in.
"Let’s go," Lei Xiuyuan said, stepping inside ahead of her.
Instinctively, Li Fei moved closer to him, her hand brushing against his sleeve before she reflexively grabbed hold of it.
"Scared?" His cool voice in the darkness sounded almost mocking.
She hurriedly denied it. "Of course not!"
Lei Xiuyuan continued indifferently, "They say places like this, filled with ancient texts, are the most likely to breed spirits. They lure people in with illusions, then strip their skin, drain their blood, gnaw their bones..."
With every word, Li Fei’s heart pounded harder, torn between fear and irritation. She clutched his sleeve tighter. "S-stop it! I don’t believe you!""It's true. I heard that decades ago, many people died in the Star Rectitude Hall's library. Brother Lu even saw corpses being carried out with their skin completely gone."
"...Enough nonsense! Just return the book already!"
"They say they especially like young people—tender flesh and soft bones..."
"Y-you—stop it already..."
Li Fei couldn't even remember how she managed to shove the book back that day. She hadn’t been that scared at first, but Lei Xiuyuan kept frightening her. As a result, she had nightmares all night—monsters leaping out of books to devour her—and barely slept a wink.
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