When Sang Dai woke up, she was covered in fallen petals.
She felt a bit dazed as her forehead was tapped lightly.
Then, a familiar and gentle voice came: “Which family’s little disciple is slacking off? Have you practiced your swordsmanship today?”
She followed the voice and saw someone squatting in front of her, smiling at her.
Dressed in white robes embroidered with green bamboo, his long black hair was tied up with a simple wooden hairpin. His features were refined, not resembling those of a mortal, and his eyes were soft and clear. It was an exceptionally gentle face.
Sang Dai covered her head and said, “Master, you hit me again.”
Her tone dragged out, sounding crisp and playful.
Ying Heng extended a hand to her. “Who told you to slack off?”
He smiled in a way that seemed completely without temper. Sang Dai grabbed his hand and allowed him to pull her up.
At just ten years old, the young sword cultivator wore the white uniform of the sect. Her features were still tender, but a hint of her future elegance could already be seen.
Ying Heng picked up her sword and led her away. “Master will be leaving for a few days. During this time, you must stay in the Sword Sect and make sure your father and mother don’t catch you slacking off, or you’ll be punished.”
Sang Dai nodded repeatedly. “Understood, understood. Master, go in peace.”
Ying Heng was amused by her. “Tired?”
“So tired! I swung my sword five thousand times today; I can’t even lift my arms anymore.”
“Such hard work, huh? Then Master will make a nice meal for Dai Dai tonight.”
“In that case, it’s not so hard anymore. Your disciple can endure a bit more. Can Master add another dish to the meal?”
“Hmm, of course.”
Every time Ying Heng went down the mountain, he would prepare a large meal for her the night before.
While eating, Sang Dai asked, “Master, are you going to exorcise demons again?”
“Yes. Tian Yuxue is about to emerge, and the Great Cold is coming. Master needs to suppress her.”
“Does your disciple need to help?”
“No need. Dai Dai, stay in the Sword Sect. If you can master the sword techniques I’ve left you, that would be even better.”
Sang Dai frowned and muttered back in a small voice, “Master, you’d better leave quickly. Your disciple can handle being alone.”
“Master will return soon. In six days, it will be your tenth birthday. Should Master bring you a birthday gift for turning ten?”
“Okay!”
Ying Heng often went down the mountain to exorcise demons. As a Nascent Soul cultivator of the Sword Sect, he often handled demon suppression on his own, and Sang Dai never worried.
Because Ying Heng was very strong and had never been in danger.
After Ying Heng left, Sang Dai lived alone in her small courtyard. Accompanied by the spiritual beast Ying Heng left behind and the many snacks he had prepared before leaving, her days continued to pass comfortably.
During the day, she practiced her swordsmanship. When she was truly exhausted, she would avoid Sect Master Sang and Madam Shi, sneaking off to the back mountain to take a break.
At night, she lay on the bamboo bed in the courtyard with the spiritual beast in her arms, feeling the breeze, eating the snacks Ying Heng had left behind, and chatting with the beast about how many days he would be gone this time.
But Ying Heng was away for a very long time this time. On Sang Dai’s birthday, she waited for him for a very, very long time, but he didn’t return.
She waited from morning until night. Ying Heng had never missed her birthday before. But on the Sword Sect’s eldest young lady’s tenth birthday, no one remembered, and no one celebrated with her.
She sat at the door, sulking for the first time.
Sang Dai didn’t care if others forgot her birthday, but Ying Heng couldn’t forget.
On the eleventh night after Ying Heng had left, when the first star appeared, Sang Dai finished her sword practice. She hadn’t slacked off today.
Holding her sword, she walked back and encountered many senior brothers and sisters along the way.
As the eldest young lady of the Sword Sect, everyone in the sect knew her. They would always warmly greet her when they saw her.
Passing by a senior brother, Sang Dai nodded politely. “Senior Brother Chen—”
But the person was too absorbed in his conversation with others to notice her.
“The Guixu Spiritual Vein has been destroyed, and the entire Cangwu Daoist Temple was massacred!”
“Haven’t you noticed that the spiritual vein behind our sect’s back mountain has dimmed significantly too? Cultivating these past few days has yielded much less spiritual energy!”
“The Immortal Alliance must be going mad with panic!”
“It’s not just the Immortal Alliance; the entire Four Realms are in chaos. The Twelve Palaces of the Beast Realm, the Thirteen Domains of the Beast Realm, and the Two Cities of the Underworld have all issued death orders, vowing to investigate and find the culprit behind this!”
“The Guixu Spiritual Vein… What will happen to our cultivation? I’ve just started refining Qi—what will happen to my path to immortality?”
For a moment, Sang Dai thought they were joking.
The Guixu Spiritual Vein, located in the Guixu Immortal Realm, could only be accessed by those with Heaven-grade spiritual roots. Moreover, such a massive spiritual vein—it was impossible for even a Heaven-grade spiritual root cultivator to destroy it. That vein had existed since the birth of the cultivation world, standing firm for countless millennia.
Yet everywhere she went, she heard the same conversation. The disciples of the Sword Sect were panicking.
Sang Dai clutched her sword tightly and ran back to her small courtyard.
She pushed open the door, and a faint fragrance greeted her.
Her vision blurred, and before she could steady herself, someone caught her by the shoulders.
“Why are you running so fast?”
Ying Heng appeared to have just bathed, his black hair still dripping with water.
Sang Dai instinctively threw herself into his arms. “Master… you’re back!”
She was so small that she barely reached Ying Heng’s chest.
He patted her head, smiling as he always did. “I’ve been away for quite a few days. Did Dai Dai slack off?”
Sang Dai suddenly remembered something and quickly stepped back from his embrace.
Ying Heng was a bit puzzled. “…What’s wrong, Dai Dai?”
Sang Dai frowned. “My birthday has already passed, and you didn’t come back to celebrate it with me!”
In front of Ying Heng, she was always willful, completely different from her reserved demeanor around others.
Ying Heng froze for a moment before bending down slightly, carefully apologizing, “Dai Dai, I’m sorry. Master was delayed by something. I bought you a gift.”
Sang Dai was still angry. She pushed him aside and walked into the house.
“I don’t want a gift.”
She went inside, locking herself in the bamboo house. Hugging the spiritual pet that Ying Heng had given her, she began accusing him.
“He clearly said he’d come back to celebrate my birthday. My birthday has been over for five days, and he’s just now coming back?”
The spiritual pet let out a few “awoo” sounds, joining her in blaming Ying Heng.
Sang Dai then turned to Zhiyu, who was sitting nearby. “What do you think, Zhiyu? Isn’t Master terrible?”
Zhiyu hesitated for a moment before gently saying. “…Yes.”
Of course, it agreed with its mistress.
Sang Dai hugged Zhiyu tightly. “You’re still the best to me.”
She lay on her bed, munching on the snacks Ying Heng had made. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door of the bamboo house.
Ying Heng’s voice came through. “Dai Dai.”
Sang Dai covered her ears. “I’m asleep!”
The person outside the bamboo house was silent for a moment before speaking softly, “Master made food to apologize to you. Would you come eat?”
Sang Dai hesitated for a moment. She could smell the aroma of food, and Ying Heng’s cooking was excellent.
The spiritual pet tugged at her sleeve, its tiny head shaking furiously.
[Don’t be so spineless!]
Sang Dai snapped out of her hesitation. “…I’m not eating. I’m not hungry.”
It seemed Ying Heng stood outside for a long time. Sang Dai lay on her bed, silent.
Eventually, he spoke softly, “Dai Dai, will you keep Master company for a meal?”
Sang Dai’s heart softened. She could tell that Ying Heng sounded a little sad.
She sat up and looked at the faint silhouette framed by the door. He was still as composed and upright as ever.
The little girl hesitated. The spiritual pet clung to her knee.
[No! You can’t be so spineless. He broke his promise! He was gone for so many days, and he promised to come back for your birthday!]
Sang Dai wavered. “But Master made food.”
The spiritual pet continued to block her path. [You can’t go! Just ignore him!]
Sang Dai looked at the shadow outside the door. On one side was Ying Heng, and on the other was her stubborn little temper.
The spiritual pet tried to stop her. Sang Dai was still angry, but deep within her mind, a voice emerged.
It told her:
—Go and see him.
—Go and have a meal with him.
—Go and eat this meal.
The little girl felt a bit panicked. She didn’t know why, but it seemed like this meal was truly important. It felt as though she would regret it for the rest of her life if she didn’t eat it.
Ying Heng lowered his head and spoke softly, “Dai Dai, Master was wrong. The food is in the dining room. If you get hungry, go and eat.”
He turned to leave, and Sang Dai suddenly panicked. She got up, pushed the spiritual pet aside, and rushed to the door.
She pulled the door open. “Master!”
The white-robed sword cultivator’s body stiffened.
“Master, I…”
Sang Dai stared at his back, her heart filled with inexplicable unease.
It felt like there was always a voice telling her:
—Apologize to him. Say you were wrong.
—Eat this meal. It’s a meal he spent a long time preparing for you.
In a soft voice, Sang Dai said, “Master… I’m sorry. I was wrong.”
After she said it, the unease in her heart seemed to vanish all at once.
Sang Dai was puzzled. Why did she feel this way?
Ying Heng turned around and gently patted her head. “Dai Dai, it’s Master’s fault. Our Dai Dai has never been wrong.”
He took his little disciple’s hand and led her toward the dining room.
Ying Heng was an excellent cook, and the table was filled with dishes.
The little sword cultivator sat on a bamboo chair, nibbling on the meat in her bowl. With her mouth still full, she mumbled, “Master.”
“What is it, Dai Dai?”
“Did something happen at the Guixu Immortal Realm? And what about the Cangwu Daoist Temple?”
Ying Heng’s hand, which had been about to add food to her bowl, paused.
Sang Dai looked at him in surprise. “Master?”
He slowly placed the food into her bowl and patted her head. “There are people who will handle this matter. You of the younger generation don’t need to worry about it. Eat first.”
At the time, the ten-year-old sword cultivator didn’t understand what the Guixu Spiritual Vein was, nor did she grasp its significance.
She only felt a pang of regret in her heart that the Cangwu Daoist Temple had been massacred and three thousand lives had been taken. It was far too cruel.