◎Aloof Senior Sister◎
On the stone arena, the two stood facing each other.
Han Shuangjian was expressionless, while Xu Xiaoran looked visibly irritated.
He could certainly hear the previous murmurs of discussion. He also held grievances against Xu Mingcheng's arrangement. He didn't feel he needed to win by defeating the dead last—it was simply ridiculous! Why did his father underestimate him so much?
He had seen how ugly Yingshi's conclusion was just now. At the very least, they should have arranged a lower-middle-tier opponent for him, allowing for enough back-and-forth exchanges to save face, right?
Xu Xiaoran gritted his teeth, raised his chin, and put on an expression of looking down upon Han Shuangjian.
Waiting for the war drums to sound, he made up his mind to teach this piece of trash opposite him a good lesson!
He disdained using basic spells. Instead, he would use those flashy ones his father had taught him in private, making everyone realize he actually possessed quite a bit of strength...
"Dong—"
The sound of the drum echoed leisurely. Xu Xiaoran's aura sharpened, his entire body tensed, ready to strike!
He secretly gathered his power... gathered his power... Huh?
His body was tensed too tightly; it was as if he suddenly couldn't move at all...
Damn it, was he too nervous?
Sweat dripped down Xu Xiaoran's forehead. He looked into Han Shuangjian's deep, dark eyes, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't lift a single finger!
This situation was definitely wrong. He should shout to stop the match and ask the teachers on the stage to investigate what sinister and evil arts this damn trash was using, but why couldn't he make a sound?!
Not only that, but he also felt a suffocating sensation as if tightly bound by chains. The more he struggled, the tighter they bound him!
A deep, soul-piercing terror and chill surged from the bottom of his heart. Xu Xiaoran's vision went black, and his limbs went numb.
He felt like he should be convulsing uncontrollably by now, but had no one noticed? Or had his five senses already abandoned him? Why, why hadn't his father or the teachers noticed something was wrong with him?!
"..."
As time ticked by, the disciples below the stage gradually became restless.
The crowd's expressions shifted several times, from scrutiny hiding resentment, to the impatience of sitting dryly and waiting, and then to bewildered confusion...
Because the teachers forbade making noise, everyone only dared to exchange glances, and thus saw the same astonishment in each other's eyes: No way, the match has already begun, yet the two on stage are just standing there motionless. What are they doing?
No one could make heads or tails of it, including the teachers seated above.
Among them, Xu Mingcheng's face was the ugliest. He stared fixedly at his useless son, feeling his blood pressure rise to his neck, as if he were about to explode. But an even more jaw-dropping, humiliating scene that made him want to commit suicide on the spot was yet to come—
After Xu Xiaoran and Han Shuangjian stood off for two minutes, Xu Xiaoran suddenly let out an extremely painful groan.
"Ugh, ah!"
His facial features twisted hideously, as if he were enduring some intense torture. In an instant, he lost all strength, fell to his knees, and then curled up on his side. After that, he rolled and rolled, rolling all the way off the stage...
"..."
Uh, no way...
What a familiar scene this was!
The Sect Leader's son replicated Sun Xuanyi's forfeit tactic one-to-one, not even bothering to innovate. This was going too far!
The entire audience was dumbfounded, watching helplessly as Xu Xiaoran conceded defeat in such an "exaggerated" manner without making or receiving a single move. After seeing him roll off the stage and lie motionless, every head turned uniformly toward the Sect Leader.
Then, a clamor erupted throughout the martial arts arena, one that could not be suppressed by mere authority:
"Am I dreaming?! Is Xu Xiaoran pulling this stunt to lead a rebellion against unfairness?"
"Are you kidding? Don't forget how he usually behaves!"
"Then how do you explain him choosing to forfeit, blatantly slapping the Sect Leader's face?"
"Regardless, I really have to look up to him! Voluntarily giving up the chance to participate in the Tiangang Martial Gathering, and throwing his own pride on the ground to be trampled on—not just anyone could do that..."
"His acting is incredibly realistic, much better than Sun Xuanyi's performance!"
While everyone chattered on, Sun Xuanyi, who was arguably half the subject of the conversation, cowered in a corner without saying a word.
His gaze swept faintly over Han Shuangjian, who stood there calm and breezy, and then he quickly buried his head again.
In the huge Yunshui Sect, only he could fully understand Brother Xiaoran... Only the two of them were true confidants...
"Enough!"
Xu Mingcheng's voice was incredibly stern. He slammed the table and stood up. The desk in front of him actually shattered, and many younger disciples covered their ears in fear due to the overwhelming spiritual pressure in his reprimand!
In their bewilderment, the crowd saw the furious Sect Leader point at his rebellious son slumped on the side of the stage, roaring with a flushed face: "Since your skills are inferior to others, hurry up and get out of here!"
With a flick of his sleeve, his voice still carrying undissipated fury, he ordered, "Continue calling the names!"
The teacher who had been responsible for calling the names was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly cooperated and called the names of the next group of disciples.
So, does this mean he accepted this absurd result?
...Han Shuangjian's luck is just too good, isn't it?
To think someone would willingly pave the way for another just to protest against privilege?
And the person protesting against privilege was privilege itself!
Everyone had their own thoughts and wished they could debate for three hundred rounds right then and there. The competition continued, but everyone's minds had already flown away; no one paid attention to the new duels on the stone stage.
...
This selection tournament for the Tiangang Martial Gathering lasted for two days. The final list of selected disciples left everyone dumbfounded:
Three inner sect disciples, plus one outer sect disciple.
Two of the inner sect disciples were the usual first and second among the younger generation. Everyone was entirely convinced by their selection.
And the third was the Sect Leader's daughter, Xu Yingshi.
It was said that although her cultivation base was not top-tier, it was still quite outstanding. Especially after being in seclusion for a while, she seemed to have made rapid progress, though no one knew exactly how capable she truly was.
As for the sole outer sect disciple, it was the newly minted legendary figure who had stepped on Xu Xiaoran's head to get in—Han Shuangjian.
The disciples who won their matches naturally numbered far more than four, but these four were chosen after final comprehensive consideration.
Han Shuangjian's presence was quite glaring. Many guessed that it was a reluctant choice made by the Sect Leader to save a bit of face for his son.
Losing to a highly potential, mysterious newcomer playing the pig to eat the tiger sounded much better than losing to the dead last in the sect, right?
Then they had to build up hype for this chosen lucky opponent. Thus, a rumor began to spread within the Yunshui Sect: Han Shuangjian was actually a hidden expert. During that match, he had actually used a high-level spell called Nightmare Art, but only the teachers with profound cultivation could see it.
Of course, no one really believed this face-saving rhetoric, except for a certain Mr. Sun who wished to remain anonymous.
But whether they believed it or not, the party of five representing the Yunshui Sect, including the leading teacher, successfully arrived at the Daoyi Immortal Alliance half a month later.
By the time they settled into Wendao Peak, there were less than five days left until the opening of this year's Tiangang Martial Arts Tournament.
...
There were about a thousand disciples participating in the tournament this year.
The Dao Yi Immortal Alliance had set aside Wendao Peak exclusively for the disciples' accommodation.
The top-ranking major sects in the cultivation world were truly different. They were incredibly wealthy, unlike the Yunshui Sect, which only had one complete peak in total that still had to be divided into inner and outer sects.
During the lodging arrangements, just as Xu Mingcheng had previously instructed, all leading teachers were separated from the disciples, and the disciples were also separated by gender.
The male disciples all stayed in the north of Wendao Peak, while the female disciples stayed in the south. However, the actual activity areas were not strictly divided, so there were no restrictions on the disciples interacting with one another.
Yingshi was currently sharing a dormitory with another female disciple named Xinmei, who ranked first in the Yunshui Sect.
Xinmei didn't even have a name in I See Frost and Snow; she was just a background character in the plot. However, in actual interactions, she was quite straightforward and honest. After spending time together recently, Yingshi had already become friends with her.
At this moment, having finished making their beds, Xinmei suggested, "Yingshi, do you want to go out for a walk?"
"Sure."
Yingshi nodded. She raised her hand to touch the two storage bags tied to her waist, zoning out a little.
"Why do I feel like you've been absent-minded these past few days? Are you feeling nervous because the grand tournament is approaching?"
Xinmei's observations were truly meticulous.
Yingshi let out a faint, almost imperceptible sigh. These days, she did indeed have some minor interpersonal troubles.
After taking a few major detours, the plot had returned to the right track and was gradually approaching the main storyline. Soon, other important characters would appear one by one, yet she couldn't muster up any enthusiasm.
It was all because, after their eyes met at the martial arts arena that day, the sense of alienation she vaguely detected from Shuangjian didn't seem to be an illusion.
She had already asked Xu Mingcheng for a second storage bag and had even filled it with the several spirit stones she had promised earlier, but she hadn't even had the chance to give it to Shuangjian.
How strange it was. Her confinement had clearly been lifted, and both she and Shuangjian had become participating disciples in the Tiangang Martial Arts Tournament. They could see each other every moment along the journey, yet they couldn't even manage to exchange a few words.
Perhaps the lack of any private time between the two of them was one reason. Shuangjian was extra reserved in front of outsiders and was unwilling to say much in front of others.
Additionally, the leading teacher was the familiar Master Xuanzhen. He probably still had a deep impression of the scene where Yingshi and Shuangjian appeared together outside the Cliff of Repentance, or perhaps he had received some extra instructions from Xu Mingcheng. Regardless, he kept a very close eye on them. If Yingshi made even the slightest little move, he would start coughing pointedly.
But these were only objective reasons. Overcoming them was actually quite simple; she just needed to create an opportunity for them to be alone.
The problem was that, subjectively, Shuangjian also seemed to be quietly distancing himself from her.
It was a very subtle feeling.
He would still respond to her, smile at her, and out of the remaining four people, he only spoke to her.
But it was different.
Many times, he would casually brush past a topic, quietly pull away from her, avoid eye contact with her, and find many excuses to politely decline the opportunities she tried to create for them to meet alone.
Yingshi felt a bit at a loss, a bit sad, and also a bit doubtful: was she being too sensitive and overthinking things?
For several nights, she repeatedly thought back to see if she had done anything offensive, and countless times her mind wandered back to that panicked night when Xu Mingcheng launched his surprise inspection.
Maybe her action of burying Shuangjian under the quilt at that time was too rough and lacked a sense of boundaries.
Or perhaps, her losing points in Shuangjian's heart was a continuous process.
She always asked a lot of silly questions, always chattered incessantly, always refused to let him leave...
During those days when they met every night, she could still catch up on sleep during the day, but what about Shuangjian? Perhaps coming to see her was inherently an exhausting and troublesome journey, but he was decent enough to persist until the very last day so that she wouldn't feel lonely during her confinement.
Actually, Shuangjian didn't need to huddle together with her for warmth. He was smart and independent enough to live perfectly well on his own in this alternate world. In modern society's terms, Shuangjian was downwardly compatible with her...
Yingshi could accept that relationships change and that people drift apart. She had experienced many fading friendships in real life too.
But most of those deteriorated because of time and circumstances, following a gradual and unspoken process. It wasn't like this current situation. To say it came to an abrupt halt wouldn't be accurate, as it hadn't reached that point yet. Instead, it was stuck in limbo, seemingly there but not, blowing hot and cold, which made her thoroughly uncomfortable!
She couldn't help but wonder what she should do if Shuangjian was determined to distance himself from her. Just thinking about it made her feel like the sky was falling!
Because Shuangjian was different; he was different from everyone else.
In this alternate world, he was the only real person she could hold onto...
"Xinmei, I want to take a trip to the north of Wendao Peak. Do you want to come with me?" Yingshi pinched the storage bag in her hand, unconsciously rubbing it. She controlled the corners of her lips that were involuntarily sinking, forced back the heat in her eyes before it could form into tears, and said with a bit of determination, "I forgot to give something to Shuangjian. I need to go find him."
She had to find him.
She needed to ask him clearly and openly.
She was going to ask him if he hated her, if he didn't want to be friends with her anymore.
Had anything she did caused him distress?
If she corrected her behavior, could they restore their previous relationship?
Even though this approach seemed a bit lacking in emotional intelligence.
As a decent adult, the right thing to do upon sensing distance would be to quietly walk away, not causing the other party any trouble, and not giving oneself the chance to be hurt. But Yingshi couldn't do it.
She wanted confirmation.
As the saying goes, only the mediocre trouble themselves. Rather than letting her imagination run wild and wallowing in melancholy alone, it was better to communicate.
What if Shuangjian truly had no intention of distancing himself from her, and she had just misunderstood? Shuangjian simply couldn't interact with her naturally in crowded places; maybe it was just his personality?
But whether the response she ultimately received supported her judgment or overturned it, she would get an answer.
At the very least, she had to hand over the storage bag and the spirit stones... Shuangjian had helped her so much.
Xinmei readily agreed, "Let's go together! I was just thinking about taking a walk over there anyway. Let's head out now!"
...
The blooming seasons in the cultivation world were quite marvelous. Whichever flower one liked could be kept in a constant state of full bloom, ignoring the constraints of the changing seasons.
And Wendao Peak was planted full of osmanthus trees.
A refreshing fragrance followed them all the way. When Yingshi and Xinmei arrived at the north peak, they found that their presence was not conspicuous at all. There were many disciples wandering outside, including quite a few female disciples at the north peak. Some were visiting friends within the same sect, while others were there to scout out people and estimate their strengths.
"Wei Kai!"
Seeing a familiar figure, Xinmei quickly waved and called out.
"Senior Sister Xin, Junior Sister Xu!" Wei Kai pushed through the crowd to greet them. "Have you two settled in so quickly as well?"
The man named Wei Kai was the runner-up from the Yunshui Sect, and he was a very easygoing person.
Yingshi nodded and withdrew her searching gaze. She asked hesitantly, "Senior Brother Wei Kai, is Shuangjian sharing a room with you? I... I have something I need to tell him."
Wei Kai scratched his head. "That is how the rooms were assigned, but Junior Brother Han isn't in there right now. I don't know where he went, either. He seemed to disappear in the blink of an eye."
Before Yingshi could feel disappointed, Xinmei patted her shoulder and said in surprise, "Wait, Yingshi, look over there. Isn't that Junior Brother Han?"
Yingshi turned her head and immediately spotted Shuangjian standing under a tree.
He always stood out from the crowd with a striking presence. Even from behind, he was eye-catching enough.
"It's him! I'll head over there first! You guys can look around, there's no need to wait for me!"
Saying this, Yingshi prepared to jog over to him.
However, just as she took a step, a "man" hurriedly approached Shuangjian from the side. The newcomer was dressed in robes as white as snow and had an incredibly handsome face, though his build was somewhat slight and frail.
The "man" had his brows tightly furrowed and his lips pressed into a thin line. He looked rushed, walking as if he were trying to evade something. He kept glancing back over his shoulder, completely ignoring the obstacle in front of him. He was just about to crash into Shuangjian under the tree—
But Shuangjian dodged him.
"..."
Yingshi watched the scene unfold. Her mouth fell slightly open, and she abruptly stopped in her tracks.
These past few days, distressed by interpersonal troubles, she had been so absent-minded that she hadn't even realized the plot was still moving forward without a moment's pause.
Now that they had moved into Wendao Peak, it was time for the other main characters to make their appearance!
Could Shuangjian's hot-and-cold attitude have just been the influence of the plot all along?
In the original book, after the Tiangang Martial Arts Tournament arc began, the Cute Little Childhood Sweetheart did indeed briefly exit the stage, because what came next was the Aloof Senior Sister's home court...
