Chapter 18:The Future

Inside the hall, a deathly silence reigned.

Shu Yue remained curled up on the cold floor, unable to recover from that fleeting, dragonfly-like kiss.

The soft, trembling sensation on her lips lingered, searing her ears with heat and making her heart pound so fiercely it seemed it might burst.

‘Kissed… she really kissed me… how dare she!’

‘And I… why didn’t I push her away immediately?’

‘Even if it was just a moment… it was a kiss! It’s over, it’s over, it’s over! If this gets out…’

‘No, it can’t get out! The real issue is… her favorability has skyrocketed!’

A wave of panic engulfed her.

She had to—immediately, urgently—correct this catastrophic mistake!

Springing up from the floor, heedless of her still-unstable spiritual energy and disheveled appearance, she took a deep breath, forcing her voice back to its usual icy chill, now laced with a sharper edge of severity. She shouted toward the hall’s exterior:

“Qing Wan! Get in here now!”

Her voice, infused with spiritual power, pierced through the hall’s doors, ringing clearly outside.

Yet, the outside was met with dead silence, no response at all.

Shu Yue’s face stiffened. Her divine sense swept out, only to find that Qing Wan was nowhere near the hall—she had fled without a trace.

‘She ran! Kissed me and ran! What is this?! Hit-and-run thrill-seeking?! Qing Wan, you’re done for! Your character arc is ruined, do you know that!’

Shu Yue’s teeth itched with frustration, but with no outlet for her anger, she could only pace irritably within the hall.

The aftereffects of her chaotic spiritual energy, combined with her emotional upheaval, left her dizzy and unsteady.

Just then, a respectful transmission sounded from outside Jinghong Peak:

“Master, your disciple Chu Yi requests an audience. My injuries have healed, and I come to report and seek guidance on my future cultivation.”

It was Chu Yi!

Shu Yue froze mid-step, as if grasping a lifeline.

‘Perfect timing! The male lead is here! Quick, use him to neutralize this cursed yuri atmosphere! Get the plot back on track!’

She forcibly suppressed her emotions, swiftly tidying her disheveled robes with spiritual power, smoothing out the faint bloodstains on her arms, ensuring she once again appeared as the aloof, unapproachable Luyue Fairy.

With a wave of her sleeve, she opened the doors of Jinghong Hall.

“Come in.”

Chu Yi stepped inside, his aura steady, clearly having recovered well from his injuries.

As he entered, he keenly sensed the hall’s lower temperature and slightly unstable spiritual energy but didn’t dare question it, bowing respectfully. “This disciple pays respects to Master.”

“Hm.” Shu Yue responded faintly, deliberately softening her tone just a fraction beyond her usual coldness.

“Since your injuries are healed, you must not slacken. Your foundation remains weak, and the risks of using forbidden techniques linger. From now on, diligently refine your spiritual power, stabilize your realm, and focus on tempering your heart, guarding against arrogance and impatience.”

Her words, though still instructional and cautionary, were unusually lengthy for her, a stark contrast to her typically terse and icy demeanor.

Chu Yi was overwhelmed with gratitude, bowing deeply. “Yes! This disciple will strictly follow Master’s teachings and never dare to slack!”

His heart burned with enthusiasm, feeling that his stern yet warm-hearted Master’s strictness was for his own good.

‘Yes, yes, exactly! Keep it like this!’

To further emphasize her focus on her “proper disciple,” Shu Yue, with some reluctance, retrieved a bottle of Foundation Consolidation Pills suitable for the Foundation Building stage from her storage ring and handed it to Chu Yi. “These pills will aid your current stage. Take them.”

Chu Yi’s eyes lit up with joy as he accepted with both hands. “Thank you, Master, for granting these pills!” His hands trembled with excitement.

This was the first time his Master had bestowed pills upon him! Did this mean she was finally acknowledging him?

This “harmonious” master-disciple moment was witnessed from afar by Qing Wan, who had returned with mustered courage to face her punishment.

No matter how the Elder might scold or punish her, she was ready to accept it.

But as she approached, she saw the hall’s doors wide open, Chu Yi standing inside, and the Elder… giving him pills?

And speaking to him… at such length?

The Elder’s expression seemed… less cold than before?

A strange, sharp pain surged in her heart, far worse than the backlash of spiritual energy.

So… the Elder’s warmth was reserved for genius disciples like Brother Chu?

Was that accidental kiss… to the Elder, nothing but an intolerable, offensive act?

Was that why she immediately summoned Brother Chu, to show through her actions who truly mattered on Jinghong Peak?

Loss and inferiority overwhelmed her once more.

The courage she had just gathered dissipated, her face pale as she halted, unable to approach. She hid behind the distant bamboo grove, watching the “harmonious” master-disciple scene with a bitter ache.

Shu Yue’s peripheral vision caught the faint, familiar figure lurking in the bamboo grove. Her heart inexplicably faltered, but she quickly hardened it.

‘See that, Qing Wan? This is a normal master-disciple relationship. Look closely and stop overthinking!’

She deliberately gave Chu Yi a few more cultivation pointers before dismissing him.

Chu Yi left, brimming with zeal.

Outside, Qing Wan slipped away quietly, her spirit broken.

Jinghong Hall returned to its cold solitude.

Shu Yue stood alone in the hall, yet felt an inexplicable emptiness.

In the days that followed, Shu Yue became more “active” in her role as “Master,” particularly toward Chu Yi.

She increased the frequency of checking on his cultivation. Though her words remained concise and her demeanor cold, it was a world apart from her previous hands-off approach.

She even permitted Chu Yi to seek guidance at Jinghong Hall’s entrance during major bottlenecks. Nine times out of ten, she wouldn’t respond, but on the rare occasion, she’d offer a brief transmission of advice.

This was enough to make Chu Yi endlessly grateful, spurring him to train with even greater fervor.

As for Qing Wan, Shu Yue adopted a “three-no policy”: no seeing, no hearing, no acknowledging.

She treated her as if she didn’t exist, even ceasing the menial task assignments via transmission talismans, as if Jinghong Peak had never had such a person.

This stark, cruel contrast was like a dull blade, repeatedly slicing at Qing Wan’s heart.

She watched as Brother Chu freely entered the hall’s vicinity, received the Elder’s guidance, and felt the weight of her cold attention… while she was utterly erased.

She grew quieter, spending her time either on necessary cultivation or self-imposed, almost penitential tasks. Most of her days were spent alone in her small room or hiding in distant corners, stealing glances at Jinghong Hall.

The newly confirmed love in her heart grew heavier and more painful under this cold reality.

In this strange stalemate, another uninvited guest arrived.

This time, it was Elder Yuheng.

Fanning himself with a smile, he came to Jinghong Peak under the pretense of “checking on Junior Sister’s cultivation,” his eyes gleaming with the thrill of gossip.

“Junior Sister, have you heard the recent sect rumors?” Elder Yuheng got straight to the point, grinning like a fox. “They say you’ve taken quite a shine to that Tianyan Sword Sect’s Xie Liuyun. Multiple sword discussions, even letting him into your Jinghong Hall? Tsk tsk, is our Canglan Sword Sect about to celebrate some happy news?”

Shu Yue’s face darkened instantly, as if scorched to the bottom of a pot.

“Nonsense! Who’s celebrating with him?! That was academic exchange! Forced!”

Her voice was icy as she retorted, “Senior Brother, mind your words. It was merely a swordsmanship discussion, nothing more.”

“Oh? Just a discussion?” Elder Yuheng’s fan fluttered faster, a teasing glint in his eyes. “Then why do I hear you’ve been quite lenient with that little fairy from Yaochi Peak? Allowing her frequent visits? Yet your little sword-serving disciple seems to have been rather neglected lately. Your way of handling people, Junior Sister, is getting harder for your Senior Brother to decipher.”

His words, though casual, struck Shu Yue’s nerves like arrows.

Her internal alarm bells blared!

‘This old fox! How does he know so much? What’s he hinting at?’

Maintaining her composure, Shu Yue’s voice grew colder. “My affairs are none of Senior Brother’s concern. I manage Jinghong Peak’s matters with discretion.”

“Discretion, indeed, discretion.” Elder Yuheng chuckled, not pressing further, and shifted the topic. “But, Junior Sister, sometimes too much effort backfires. Overdoing it can draw unwanted scrutiny… Well, never mind, I’m just passing by, making idle chat. Don’t take it to heart.”

With a meaningful glance at Shu Yue, he sauntered off, fan swaying leisurely.

Left alone, Shu Yue’s mind churned with chaos.

‘What did he mean? Did he see through something? Was I too obvious?’

Elder Yuheng’s words were like a stone tossed into a lake, rippling through her thoughts.

She began reflecting on her recent actions: her sudden “favor” toward Chu Yi, her “non-rejecting” stance with Liu Qingxu, and her extreme “coldness” toward Qing Wan.

To outsiders, it must seem strange and deliberate!

‘A misstep! A huge misstep! I was so focused on keeping distance that I forgot less is more! Now, instead of lowering her favorability, I might’ve drawn attention! If someone starts digging…’

A cold sweat broke out on her back.

She realized she was caught in a vicious cycle: the more she tried to escape the original story’s bad ending, the more she pushed Qing Wan away, the more unnatural her actions became, potentially thrusting her into even greater danger!

This couldn’t continue.

She needed… a new strategy.

At the very least, she couldn’t keep deliberately snubbing Qing Wan—it was as good as confessing her intentions.

But… what to do?

Get closer? Absolutely not!Maintain the status quo? That seemed impossible now…

Shu Yue found herself in an unprecedented dilemma.

Unbeknownst to her, Liu Qingxu, hidden nearby, overheard everything through an expensive concealment artifact.

Watching Shu Yue’s “favor” toward Chu Yi and the calculating smile that flickered on her lips at Elder Yuheng’s words, Liu Qingxu mused to herself.

‘Sister Luyue, your intentions are getting harder to read.’

‘But no matter… soon, you’ll see who can truly help you.’

Meanwhile, Qing Wan stood alone by the Cold Pool at the back mountain, practicing her swordplay over and over.

Her sword strokes were sharp, tinged with a bitter edge, as if pouring all her unspoken emotions and grievances into the cold gleam of her blade.

She didn’t understand why the Elder treated her this way.

All she knew was that her on

ly path forward was to become stronger.

Strong enough, at least, to stand before her and ask why.