"How could you possibly be a disturbance?"
Xiao Yifeng stepped up to her side, standing shoulder-to-shoulder as they both gazed up at the luminous, unblemished moon hanging in the night sky.
"Truthfully, I am somewhat relieved," Yuge said softly. "My brother has finally set aside the grand burden of restoring our fallen kingdom. I no longer have to live as a bargaining chip for a dead dynasty. Perhaps it is selfish to say this, considering how many have died for our sake."
She spoke with frankness, her tone carrying the unmistakable lightness of liberation. She turned her gaze toward Xiao Yifeng. "Although I may not have many years left, at least I can finally live for myself. I can do what I wish to do."
"Everyone has the right to live for themselves, Lady Yuge," Xiao Yifeng replied with a gentle smile. "There is no need for guilt."
"My only regret is that I am, in the end, merely a mortal," she sighed. "I will age, sicken, and die. Perhaps if Young Master returns in ten years, all you will see is a mound of earth."
She lifted her eyes, shimmering with unshed tears, to look at him. There was an emotion swirling in those depths that Xiao Yifeng could not quite decipher.
He turned slightly, avoiding a gaze that felt hot enough to scorch his soul. "Death comes for us all eventually. We cultivators merely linger a little longer. Sooner or later, we too shall return to the yellow earth."
"Young Master Xiao," Yuge said suddenly, breaking the melancholy silence. "Those demonic women were after this jade pendant. It is useless in my hands, but I believe it would be far more beneficial to a cultivator like you. I... I wish to give it to you."
She reached inside her robes and withdrew the jade pendant that had been resting against her chest, offering it to him.
"This?" Xiao Yifeng hesitated. "This is your family's heirloom. Should you not consult Brother Tianzhi first?"
"Although it is a national treasure, it was a personal gift from my father to me. I have the right to dispose of it," Yuge insisted. "There is no need to ask my brother. Besides, if it remains with me, it will only invite disaster."
She reached out, took his hand, and pressed the jade firmly into his palm.
As the pendant settled into his grip, it still radiated the lingering warmth of her body. Xiao Yifeng was stunned; the very item he had sought for so long, yet failed to obtain, had now fallen into his hands with such ease.
"Since this item is indeed useful to me, I would be hypocritical to refuse. Xiao Yifeng thanks Lady Yuge for her generosity," he said solemnly.
"Yuge asks for nothing in return," she whispered. "If Young Master happens to pass by in the future, simply coming to visit would make me very happy. And... lastly... Young Master should visit those kinds of places less often. If... if Young Master desires it so much... Yuge is also willing..."
By the end of her sentence, her voice was as faint as the buzzing of a mosquito, and her face burned crimson.
Xiao Yifeng stood frozen, his mind blank.
It’s over. My persona has completely collapsed.
Was this what they called social death? She clearly thought he was a frequent patron of brothels because of the incident at the Spring Breeze Pavilion.
"Hmph!"
A cold, suppressed snort drifted from the shadows. It was Su Miaoqing.
She had noticed the two of them on the deck earlier and had been secretly eavesdropping. Upon hearing Yuge's shy proposition, Su Miaoqing was so furious she lost all will to meditate. She stormed back to her bed, buried her head under the quilt, and sulked in darkness.
Meanwhile, hidden in the gloom of the cabin, Zhang Tianzhi’s heart began to race. He had been concealing himself inside, a fact Xiao Yifeng had noticed long ago.
"Lady Yuge, you have misunderstood! I..." Xiao Yifeng stammered, wearing a bitter smile.
"I naturally believe you, Young Master Xiao. I was merely teasing." Yuge covered her mouth and giggled, cutting off his frantic explanation.
Seeing his flustered expression, she laughed with genuine delight. "But Young Master Xiao, I meant the first part! Remember to visit me when you have time."
She didn't linger. Turning around, she walked toward the cabin door. "After speaking with you, my heart feels much lighter. Thank you, Young Master."
Her graceful silhouette vanished into the cabin, leaving Xiao Yifeng standing on the deck, utterly bewildered.
The next day, Xiao Yifeng and Su Miaoqing dropped the trio off at a quiet port in the Tianyue Kingdom. Xiao Yifeng provided them with a stack of talismans that required no spiritual energy to activate—a final gift to ensure their safety.
Under the siblings' watchful gaze, the cultivators steered their vessel out to sea, disappearing into the horizon.
Three days later.
Xiao Yifeng and Su Miaoqing had been flying over the boundless ocean for days. Exhausted, they deployed the flying ship to rest.
While Su Miaoqing rested, Xiao Yifeng sat cross-legged in his quarters, silently calling out in his mind.
Immortal Slayer.
A figure clad in crimson slowly materialized before him. The sword spirit, Zhanxian, looked down at him with crossed arms. "What do you want?"
"Immortal Slayer, I need to borrow your power. I intend to execute the Sword Spirit Doppelganger technique," Xiao Yifeng stated.
"You still can't let go of those two?" She sneered. "Or rather, you can't let go of that woman? You really do leave traces of affection everywhere you go."
Xiao Yifeng knew she was being difficult. He smiled wryly. "Don't tease me. I simply find the siblings pitiable. Furthermore, they genuinely have a use for my plans."
"Hmph! Shameless lecher!" Zhanxian pouted, turning her head away, looking completely unwilling to assist.
Xiao Yifeng was momentarily at a loss. He quickly softened his voice. "Xianxian, please? Just help me this once?"
"Hmph!"
Zhanxian’s form abruptly dissolved, transforming into a mass of intangible black mist. Xiao Yifeng’s face lit up; he knew she had agreed.
Focusing his Divine Sense, he separated a portion of his consciousness and guided it into the black mist. The sensation was disorienting—he felt as though he had become the Immortal Slayer.
This was the Sword Spirit Doppelganger. Upon reaching the Foundation Establishment realm, a cultivator could share a spiritual body with the sword spirit. This doppelganger was formless, invisible, and possessed incredible speed. It was one of the divine abilities of the Immortal Slayer sword.
Without hesitation, Xiao Yifeng commanded the doppelganger to streak back toward the Tianyue Kingdom.
His main body slumped slightly, feeling a wave of weakness, while his mind simultaneously processed two distinct fields of vision. If he were not accustomed to multitasking, this schizophrenic sensation might have driven him mad.
As the doppelganger sped across the ocean, its appearance began to shift.
The formless shadow coalesced, molding itself into Xiao Yifeng’s silhouette. But then, it warped further.
Pitch-black hair turned to flowing silver. Warm eyes shifted to a piercing, crystalline blue.
A majestic robe of black and gold materialized over the body, and a semi-transparent silver mask formed to obscure the upper half of the face. The figure radiated an aura of bone-chilling cold and detached indifference.
"This look is quite interesting," the voice of the Immortal Slayer echoed in his mind, sounding amused. "It suits me. I like it!"
"Of course it suits you," Xiao Yifeng laughed internally. "You like it because you were the one who originally designed it."
This appearance was identical to Xiao Yifeng’s persona from his previous life—the Demon Monarch.
In that past timeline, whenever the Demon Monarch in black and the crimson sword spirit appeared together, they would whip up a storm of blood and slaughter, their very names enough to make the world tremble in fear.
The following morning.
Xiao Yifeng woke Su Miaoqing, intending to continue their journey via Sword Riding. However, as he stood, a wave of vertigo hit him. His soul was stretched too thin, separated by too great a distance.
After washing up, Su Miaoqing noticed his haggard state. She frowned, concern evident in her eyes. "Xiao Feng, why is your face so pale? Are your injuries from the battle not fully healed? Should we rest a while longer?"
"Senior Sister, I'm fine," Xiao Yifeng shook his head, forcing a reassuring smile. "Let us proceed."
He took the lead, summoning his flying sword and rising into the air. Su Miaoqing had no choice but to summon her feather-cloak artifact and follow closely behind.
Since returning to the ship, both of them had tacitly agreed to never speak of the incident at the Spring Breeze Pavilion's entrance. It was as if that night—and the misunderstanding it spawned—had never happened at all.