Chapter 13: Little Junior Sister

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The foremost figure of the righteous path, the number one in swordsmanship... could it be referring to Lu Wenshu? Lu Chanji froze on the spot, struggling to suppress the discomfort in her heart, and with a bewildered expression blurted out, “Isn’t the number one in swordsmanship Wei Shengming?” The woman in purple also showed the same puzzled look, pondered for a moment, and asked, “Wei Shengming? I’ve never heard of him. Is he very powerful?” The once-renowned number one in swordsmanship was now forgotten by all, just as no one today remembers Lu Chanji... It seemed that a millennium, though not enough to bring about drastic change, was sufficient for the Great Sea’s ten continents to transform beyond recognition.

Lu Chanji lowered her eyes and remained silent for a long while. Behind the black veil, her expression was unreadable.

The two fell into silence for a moment before the woman in purple said, “Fellow Daoist, if there is nothing else, I shall take my leave.” Before departing, she cast a meaningful glance at Lu Chanji. “By the way, I live nearby in a valley filled with phoenix flowers. If you ever need me, you can follow the trail of phoenix flowers to find me.” With that, the woman in purple packed up her stall, slung her medicinal basket over her back, and walked away.

Lu Chanji held the pill bottle that the woman had just given her; the cold touch of it made her somewhat absent-minded. Her slender fingers traced the patterns on the bottle, tapping intermittently. Suddenly, she realized something and shuddered. This pattern was...

She brought the bottle close to her eyes and saw that on the carved jade bottle were three characters: Conceal Spirit Pill.

The Conceal Spirit Pill, as the Infinite Tree had said, could mask her origins and allow her to move unhindered! Lu Chanji’s complexion changed instantly, and she quickly looked up, but the figure of the purple-clad girl selling spiritual mushrooms had already vanished. Lu Chanji hurried after her.

—

Following the directions given by the woman in purple, Lu Chanji arrived at a valley full of phoenix flowers, muttering, “How could it be here?” She stared in astonishment at the wooden archway standing before her — The Infinite Sect. She had come here once again.

The young purple-clad girl selling spiritual mushrooms was, in fact, a member of the Infinite Sect, as the Infinite Tree had mentioned.

Outside, the wind and snow were blocked by the sect’s protective barrier. Standing outside, Lu Chanji looked at the barrier, which was identical to the one outside Qingfeng Lingchun Pavilion, her expression darkening.

In the end, she stepped inside.

The barrier around the Infinite Sect only kept out the wind and snow; it did not prevent people from entering. Lu Chanji easily broke through the barrier. After the air shimmered like ripples and swayed lightly, she was inside the domain of the Infinite Sect.

The Sword Support Sect was vast, with towering stones and pavilions, but the Infinite Sect was tiny—only four rooms and a small medicinal field, so small that Lu Chanji could see its entirety at a glance, including the purple-clad woman weeding the field.

Seeing Lu Chanji, the woman was slightly surprised but then smiled, “You came so quickly? Would you like some tea?”

She showed no astonishment at Lu Chanji’s sudden arrival, as if she had been expecting it.

Lu Chanji asked straightforwardly, “Why did you give me the Conceal Spirit Pill?”

The woman paused, put down her hoe, and walked over to Lu Chanji. Once close, she said, “You and I are both descendants of the Ancient Remnants, aren’t we? It seems you haven’t learned to conceal the bloodline spiritual breath within you. The Conceal Spirit Pill is exactly what you need.”

Seeing Lu Chanji frown slightly in confusion, she explained, “The Ancient Remnants carry a bloodline spiritual breath different from others. Those of us who are also descendants of the Ancient Remnants, especially those with high cultivation or who practice unconventional paths, can recognize the difference between us and others. Your spiritual energy is thin, but the spiritual breath from the Ancient Remnants within you is strong and pure—I recognized you immediately.”

“The Conceal Spirit Pill was created by my master to suppress the bloodline spiritual breath within us so we appear like ordinary cultivators. Because you took the Conceal Spirit Pill, you didn’t discover my identity as an Ancient Remnant.”

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“You helped me, so I give you the Conceal Spirit Pill in thanks,” she said with a gentle smile, her curved eyes seeming to peer through the black veil. “Little fellow Daoist, wrapping yourself up tightly won’t hide much. Remember to control the ancient spiritual breath within you carefully in the future.”

Lu Chanji asked, “Can I buy the Conceal Spirit Pill elsewhere?”

“Probably not,” the woman in purple shook her head. “In this world, only my master and I can refine it. Besides, I wouldn’t sell the Conceal Spirit Pill to outsiders. Such pills are only made for descendants of the Ancient Remnants. If I sold them openly, it would reveal our identity to all.”

She glanced up and down at Lu Chanji. “However, since you’re a fellow Daoist, I can make an exception and offer you a friendly price: thirty spirit coins for one pill. How about it?”

Lu Chanji, penniless, could only remain silent.

She clenched the small pill bottle tightly, while in the palm of her other hand appeared an object.

It was a leaf from the Infinite Tree.

The silver-white leaf lay on her extremely pale palm, its flowing veins like mercury.

Lu Chanji extended the leaf to the woman. “There’s a tree in Changzhou. It entrusted me to bring its leaves to the Infinite Sect as a greeting to an old friend. It asked me to say it is well.”

After a pause, Lu Chanji added, “I will earn the spirit stones to buy the Conceal Spirit Pill. Thank you for your gift. We shall meet again.”

The woman in purple accepted the Infinite Tree’s leaf and, seeing Lu Chanji about to leave, called out hurriedly, “Fellow Daoist, wait!”

Lu Chanji stopped.

“Since you’re a friend of the Infinite Tree,” the woman said, “I should properly host you. Come inside for tea before you go.”

Lu Chanji entered the house with her, removing the black veil from her head, revealing a face as pale as frost and snow.

Since awakening, her face had changed greatly.

The newly formed flesh and bone gave off a chill; her eyes lost the innocence and charm of youth, her brows and eyes more striking yet colder. A glance seemed to make one shiver, her eyes like sharpened cold moon and stars.

Though she knew her appearance was different from before, and even if Lu Wenshu himself stood before her, he could not recognize her by looks alone, Lu Chanji still wore the shadow-formed black veil in Yan Continent to hide from others' gazes.

Now that she was visiting another’s home, it was no longer appropriate to wear it.

Moreover, since the woman in purple did not know her past, there was no need for such precautions.

The woman was slightly surprised by her appearance. Though she expected a delicate beauty beneath the veil, she did not anticipate such a striking yet mournful face—a strikingly contradictory aura that truly startled her.

Steam rose from the teapot as the woman in purple poured spiritual tea for Lu Chanji and said, “My name is Wu Xilan, the senior disciple of the Infinite Sect. Fellow Daoist, what is your name?”

“Lu—” Lu Chanji’s voice faltered, and after a long pause she said, “Yu Chanyi. My name is Yu Chanyi.”

No one in the world remembered Lu Chanji anymore. Her past had vanished like smoke and clouds, leaving no trace.

And she herself no longer wished to live under the name Lu Chanji.

That name bore a deep mark belonging to Lu Wenshu. She did not want to live again as the shadow that followed everything Lu Wenshu thought, loved, or hated.

“Ya Chan” was the name her parents had given her; this single character was the only connection she left herself to the past—nothing more.

“Yu Chanyi...” Wu Xilan muttered the name once, then asked, “Since you came from Changzhou and have met the Infinite Tree, you should know something about our Infinite Sect. I am a descendant of the Shennong clan. Whose descendant are you?”

“...Yuan Shen Qv clan.”

Wu Xilan asked again, “Is the Infinite Tree still alive? When I was young, my master took me to Changzhou once. Even then, the Infinite Tree was already very old.”

“Still alive, but nearing the time it will cease burning. However, it said it will burn again come next spring,” Yu Chanyi replied.

Upon hearing this, Wu Xilan visibly relaxed and sighed, “For people like us, it feels like with each death, fewer remain. Sometimes it feels so lonely, with no one to talk to.”

Yu Chanyi took a sip of tea and responded, “When I’m alone, I talk to my puppets—they’re like my friends, waiting for me to come home, keeping me company—”

She stopped midway, saying no more, silently finishing her tea.

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Now, she no longer needed that.

She would never again let herself sink into such a pitiful state, revolving entirely around Lu Wenshu for thirteen years, never attempting to know anyone else.

Wu Xilan’s eyes suddenly brightened. “You’re a Puppet Master? I’ve heard Puppet Masters are skilled in manipulating puppets, so one person can be like many!”

“I used to play with them,” Yu Chanyi answered.

“That’s great!” Wu Xilan said excitedly. “Could you make some puppets for me to help water and fertilize my medicinal field? I won’t take your offerings for free. One Conceal Spirit Pill per year—when you run out, come to me again, and I’ll give you more.”

Yu Chanyi had ten Conceal Spirit Pills, enough for ten years.

She did not object to trading with Wu Xilan; with the Conceal Spirit Pills, her plans could proceed more smoothly.

Besides fulfilling the Infinite Tree’s request, Yu Chanyi also needed to secure the Conceal Spirit Pill.

Now knowing only the Infinite Sect could refine it, there was no need to waste effort elsewhere.

The Shennong clan excelled in medicine; since the last demon lord’s descent and Shennong’s fall, it had become extremely difficult to find a descendant of Shennong in the Great Sea’s ten continents.

Yu Chanyi could not yet think of a reason to leave the Infinite Sect.

If so, she might as well borrow the sect’s name to facilitate her actions.

“Making puppets is not difficult; controlling them to obey you takes practice,” Yu Chanyi decided and asked Wu Xilan, “Does your sect still accept disciples?”

Her question made Wu Xilan laugh. “Of course, we accept disciples, and there’s not much of a threshold. But you see, ours is a small, run-down sect with few members. These days, everyone wants to join the big sects, no one wants to come to our little Infinite Sect.”

“I’ll join,” Yu Chanyi said.

Wu Xilan kept laughing but then suddenly stopped and was stunned, realizing what Yu Chanyi meant.

“You want to join the Infinite Sect?” Wu Xilan asked.

Yu Chanyi nodded. “I’ll join the Infinite Sect, teach you to control puppets, and you give me Conceal Spirit Pills. We’ll each get what we need.”

Her expression was cold and serious. Wu Xilan was still surprised, “You... really want to join the Infinite Sect?”

“With your skills, the big sects would welcome you,” Wu Xilan sincerely suggested, “Why not try the big sects first?”

“Big sects? Sword Support Sect?” Yu Chanyi sneered, then softened her tone as she looked at Wu Xilan seriously. “I have no interest in the big sects. Since you say I have some skill and that joining the Infinite Sect has no real threshold, that means I’m qualified.”

“Of course you’re qualified...” Wu Xilan’s voice dropped.

Yu Chanyi was certainly qualified to join the Infinite Sect—her Ancient Remnant bloodline alone was enough—but it was strange.

Choosing not to go to big sects but instead to this tiny, desolate sect where no one else came was truly odd.

“You... do you really want to join the Infinite Sect?” Wu Xilan still couldn’t believe it.

Yu Chanyi softly said, “Of course, I’m sincere.”

“No regrets?”

“No regrets.”

“In that case...” Wu Xilan suddenly felt overjoyed. Since Yu Chanyi said she was serious, as the sect’s senior sister, she naturally welcomed the new disciple enthusiastically.

Afraid Yu Chanyi might change her mind, Wu Xilan immediately took her hand and said, “Come! Let’s go swear discipleship. From today on, you’re my little junior sister!”