When Mei Man was little, she had a friend.
His name was Xie Xu.
The Xie family might not have been as powerful as the Qiu clan, but they were still a formidable cultivation family.
Yet Xie Xu’s circumstances were much like hers—perhaps even worse.
She was not valued, but at least she had food to eat. Xie Xu, on the other hand, was an insignificant little nobody in the Xie family, a clan overflowing with talented people. No one looked after him.
When he was first born, things had not been so bleak. In fact, because he was a once-in-a-century genius, the Xie family had thought highly of him. His rice bowl was made of gold, and his soup spoon was carved from jade.
Once, Mei Man accompanied her family to an immortal banquet and caught sight of him from afar. She did not envy his golden bowl and jade spoon, nor was she jealous of the praise he received from everyone around him.
She simply could not understand.
They were all children who knew nothing. Why was he blessed with a talent that everyone praised at first sight, while she could only be an ordinary mortal?
The turning point came when Xie Xu was five.
That year, he went out traveling with his parents and was attacked by demons. His parents both died at the hands of the monsters, while he survived—but his spiritual root was destroyed.
From then on, the genius became a useless cripple whom anyone could trample beneath their feet. He clearly had a family, yet he was treated like a stray dog with nowhere to go. His golden bowl and jade spoon were taken away, along with all the warmth he had once known.
To be honest, Mei Man had never intended to be his friend. She had merely wanted to watch him make a fool of himself.
But she happened to encounter him at an unfortunate time. The Xie family was hunting in a certain mountain forest, and several of its younger members deliberately played a trick on him, abandoning him there.
Mei Man happened to be digging for spirit stones on that mountain. Xie Xu wandered through the forest for an entire day and night before finally sneaking down the mountain after her.
It had been nothing more than a coincidence, but he decided that she had helped him and insisted on following her.
At first, Mei Man found him annoying and tried to drive him away. But he clung to her like a dog that had chosen its master and refused to leave.
She still had no interest in making friends, but she did not mind having someone she could order around. As time passed, she grew happy to send him on errands, and he was willing to run them for her. Little by little, the two of them grew closer.
Several years passed like that, until she turned ten. The Xie family’s younger generation discovered that the two of them were seeing each other. They laughed and jeered, saying they would arrange a marriage between them and even build them a doghouse to serve as their wedding chamber. They went so far as to report the matter to the Mei family.
She was furious—furious enough to want to kill every one of them. What was even more infuriating was that the Mei family truly considered arranging the marriage, planning to dispose of her as casually as they would a dog.
Fortunately, their “scheme” never succeeded. Not long afterward, she went to live with the Qiu family.
After that, she did not see Xie Xu for several years.
They met again a little over a year ago.
He suddenly came to the Qiu family estate to find her, carrying a pile of things that were hardly worth anything. He said he wanted to marry her.
Marry her?
When she heard those words, she laughed in disbelief. She cursed him for being crazy and asked whether he truly thought of himself as a dog, imagining that having a kennel was enough to qualify him for marriage.
He silently endured her abuse without ever changing his expression.
He did not leave, either. Instead, he found work at a martial arts establishment nearby, and every month, he gave her all the money he earned.
She supposed that her life had simply been too unhappy. Although the Qiu family treated her well enough, there was always a voice in her heart reminding her that she had been driven out of the Mei household and was now living under someone else’s roof.
What made her even more gloomy was that everyone around her was a cultivator, while she was merely a mortal with a limited lifespan.
All those emotions weighed down on her and squeezed her tight, leaving her desperately in need of an outlet.
So one day, when he came to deliver her some sweet water, she drank it with tears in her eyes, then kissed him on the cheek.
The method did indeed ease her emotions. So much so that her secret affair with him continued for more than half a year without anyone in the Qiu family finding out.
But when the young miss said she could take her to an immortal abode, Mei Man chose the path she wanted without the slightest hesitation, just as she had when she left the Mei family.
She abandoned Xie Xu and told him bluntly, “I can’t live like this for the rest of my life. Absolutely not.”
Mei Man had forgotten what he said—or perhaps she simply hadn’t been in the mood to listen at the time.
But she remembered those eyes.
The way they stared fixedly at her.
Mei Man’s thoughts returned to the present, and she looked at Qiu Yingling before her.
Fortunately, Qiu Yingling had not noticed that her mind had wandered.
“He helped me with something. This is his thank-you gift.” He did not explain further. Instead, he gently patted her head. “Just give it to him, and ask him to have tea at the Seeking Immortals Pavilion at the foot of the mountain at noon on the seventh day of next month.”
Mei Man thought that Xie Xu had neither money nor status—he had nothing at all. How could he possibly have made his way into the immortal abode? Most likely, it was merely a coincidence that they shared the same name.
She gave him an insincere nod and wanted to leave.
But Qiu Yingling had no intention of letting her go just yet. He spoke again. “Manman, how have you been doing in the Outer Court these days?”
“Fine.”
Qiu Yingling smiled. “The Outer Court’s lessons shouldn’t be too demanding, yet you haven’t come to see us in your free time.”
Mei Man’s mood suddenly sank.
“Outer Court disciples aren’t allowed to enter the Inner Court at will.”
She was certain her tone had sounded rather stiff, because he suddenly fell silent.
Even so, she could still sense his gaze.
It was gentle and calm, yet concealed within it was a sharp, probing scrutiny.
Mei Man glanced up at him and found him staring at her with an indescribable look in his eyes.
But in the very next moment, a smile appeared in them, wiping away all the emotion that had been there before.
“You’re unhappy?” he asked.
“No.” Mei Man drew a deep breath. She had already relied on the Qiu family to get into this immortal abode. To say she was still unhappy about being left in the Outer Court would be pushing her luck too far.
If she wanted to enter the Inner Court, she would find a way herself.
Qiu Yingling stepped forward, both hands folded inside his sleeves, and bent down to look at her.
He smiled like a shameless little fox. “Oh, you’re not? Then why has your mouth been sticking out far enough to hang a kettle from ever since a moment ago? Do you think this task is too troublesome, or are you annoyed that I’ve interrupted your chance to spend time with your new friend?”
Mei Man casually came up with an excuse. “The immortal master is holding an assessment in a couple of days, and I don’t know whether the medicine I make will pass.”
“That is quite the enormous problem. No wonder it has Manman so worried. Let me think—what should we do?” Qiu Yingling said, putting on an expression as though he were pondering a difficult problem.
But she knew that for him, something like this was easier than deciding what to eat tomorrow. He was merely humoring her.
After all, a genius like him could make medicines that people would fight to get their hands on without even trying.
At the thought of this, a sour feeling rose in Mei Man’s heart.
The bitterness fogged her mind, and before she knew it, she blurted out, “I don’t need you pretending to be kind!”
The words came out hard and cold, and she regretted them the moment she finished speaking.
For one thing, she knew Qiu Yingling was genuinely concerned about her. For another, although he appeared gentle and easygoing, he was actually a hypocritical schemer who put his clever mind entirely toward plotting against others.
She had seen how he took revenge.
Several years ago, he had been poisoned, and his entire arm had lost all feeling, let alone being able to wield a sword.
After returning from the Immortal Estate to the Qiu residence to recuperate, quite a few male cultivators around his age came to visit him.
Mei Man had found those men’s hypocritical behavior extremely irritating and would have preferred to stay far away from them. Then word spread that the Sword Venerable had reached a verdict: Qiu Yingling’s arm was crippled, and he would never be able to practice swordsmanship again.
Those people who had once fussed over him suddenly changed their tune. On the surface, they came to visit him, but in truth, they mocked and taunted him with snide remarks.
Even Mei Man could see through them. Qiu Yingling, however, continued to treat them with courtesy, often wearing the same smiling expression.
That was when she realized he was no saint, and she was more than happy to sit back and watch the show.
His methods turned out to be far more vicious than she had imagined. She had no idea what he did, but those men began disappearing one after another. When they reappeared, some were missing an arm or a leg, while others had lost their cores.
And every last one of them was stupid enough to come crying to Qiu Yingling—some claiming they had been attacked by demons, others saying that all their family’s wealth had vanished—and beg him to help them for the sake of their past friendship.
Of course, he agreed. He put on a smiling act and continued playing the good person, took several handsome payments from them, and then turned around and sent them out of the cultivation world to the mortal realm.
That way, he would never have to see them again.
Mei Man had worked so hard just to touch the threshold of the cultivation world. How could she tolerate the possibility of being tricked into going to the mortal realm? She hurriedly looked up at him.
Qiu Yingling still wore the same expression as before. Unhurriedly, he asked, “Manman, what did you just say? I didn’t hear you very clearly.”
“…”
Was he pretending not to have heard her?
Mei Man realized that he was giving her a way down. Fortunately, she was no fool and obediently took it. “I said, thank you, Eldest Young Master.”
Qiu Yingling suddenly stepped forward, bent down, and wrapped his arms around her. He held her so tightly that it felt as though he wanted to knead her into his bones.
“Good Manman,” he sighed, burying his cheek in the crook of her neck and rubbing against it slowly. “You really do know how to worry about me.”
Mei Man stood stiffly without moving. She had long since grown used to this sort of thing.
There he went again, acting like some fox spirit and shamelessly flirting with her.
He continued, “I’ve been rather busy lately. Once we get through this hectic period, I’ll come see you often.”
At those words, Mei Man inexplicably heard the sound of money raining down in her head.
Say what one would about the rest of them—the Qiu family was truly generous. Every time they asked her to do something, they paid her handsomely.
She didn’t want to make herself look too greedy, so she nodded with studied indifference.
On the way back, she finally no longer had to restrain herself. The sky looked bluer, and the water clearer.
Halfway there, Mei Man suddenly remembered the “Spirit-Nourishing Great Tonic Pill.”
She immediately pulled out the beautiful bottle, removed the stopper, and peered inside.
What on earth was this Great Replenishment Pill? If he could use it as a thank-you gift, it had to be worth something. But if he wanted to give it away, why not deliver it himself? Why make her pass it along?
Mei Man wasn’t in any hurry to deliver the medicine. There were still more than ten days until the seventh.
After returning to the dormitory, Chai Qun came to see her.
The moment he stepped through the door, he asked urgently, “Xiaoman, what’s your relationship with Senior Brother Qiu? Why did he ask you to go? Did you know Senior Brother Qiu before? And why would Senior Brother Qiu come looking for you himself? You two aren’t actually close, are you? If you are, then he can definitely guarantee your entry into the inner sect. Could he do the same for me? We’re friends too, right?”
Mei Man frowned. She clearly didn’t approve of his habit of constantly repeating the words “Senior Brother Qiu.”
But she was unwilling to admit that she was running an errand for Qiu Yingling, and she couldn’t bring herself to say anything that would lower her own standing. So she casually lied, “I don’t know him.”
“You don’t know him?” Chai Qun froze. The eager smile on his face gradually faded. “Then why did he come looking for you?”
“To ask for directions.” Mei Man spoke through her irritation. “He wanted to find an Immortal Master to retrieve something. The person was in the library, but he didn’t know how to get there, so he asked me to point him in the right direction.”
She was an inveterate liar, able to spin half-true, half-false stories almost without thinking.
She would rather tell countless lies to deceive people than lose that pitiful scrap of pride.
The smile vanished completely from Chai Qun’s face, replaced by a shadow that made him seem somewhat cold.
“Ask for directions…” He turned the words over in his mouth, then straightened up, no longer hunching slightly as he had before. “But why didn’t he ask me? And he called you by name. He even gave you dragon bone.”
Mei Man was too impatient to continue discussing the matter, so she failed to notice the strange change in his tone.
“How should I know? There’s probably a disciple register or something. Why didn’t he ask you? Hmph!” She gave a cold laugh. “You saw a single piece of dragon bone and got so excited you looked like an idiot. If he had asked you, wouldn’t you have been so thrilled you’d have flown straight into the heavens?”
“If you’d told me earlier that the two of you didn’t know each other, I could have tried to seize this opportunity,” Chai Qun said, his face darkening as though he were angry. “Do you know how difficult it is to even meet him once?”
“Do you think this is some wonderful assignment? It’s only keeping me from making medicine, you—” Mei Man stopped halfway through when she finally noticed his expression. “What’s with that look on your face?”
“Nothing.” His voice grew quieter, as though he were muttering to himself. “I must have been out of my mind to think you… Forget it. Of course. If you really had such an impressive background, how could you possibly be like this? And just now, I even begged you… Tsk. I’ve completely humiliated myself.”
He continued muttering, but she couldn’t make out a single sentence. She asked, “What nonsense are you going on about?”
“Nothing. I have something to do, so I’ll be leaving.” Chai Qun turned and walked away. Just before he reached the door, he suddenly stopped and looked back at her. “Mei Man, how exactly did you manage to get into the Immortal Estate?”
Unwilling to let anyone look down on her, Mei Man answered vaguely, “How should I know? They were willing to take me, so I came.”
“Then which senior cultivator did your family write to?”
She frowned. “You have to write a letter? What kind of letter?”
He suddenly gave a laugh. “What a waste of time.”
With that, he turned and left.
“...What’s wrong with him?” Mei Man had no interest in dealing with him either.
The next morning was their body cultivation class, and she was supposed to spar with Chai Qun.
But as soon as class began, he slung an arm around another male disciple’s shoulders and said, “He’s a friend of mine. His partner is sick, so I’ll team up with him this time.”
The other disciple grinned. “Sorry about that. I really couldn’t find anyone else to help me out.”
Mei Man didn’t think much of it. “Do whatever you want.”
With Chai Qun pairing up with someone else, Mei Man was left without a partner.
Though the disciples in this outer sect courtyard generally had mediocre aptitude, every last one of them came from money. Most of them already knew one another and were reluctant to let outsiders into their little circles.
When she had first arrived, she hadn’t known anyone. Neither had Chai Qun. With an immortal master assigning them to each other, they had naturally become partners.
But unlike Mei Man, who was quiet and stingy, Chai Qun was cheerful and generous with his money. Little by little, he had made quite a few new friends.
Now that he had temporarily teamed up with someone else, and after what had happened yesterday—not to mention his fawning attitude toward Qiu Yingling—Mei Man felt somewhat distant from him as well. She was perfectly happy to train alone. She simply treated the wooden dummy as if it were him and struck it with such vigor that she could hardly have been more energized.
After class, Mei Man headed straight for the servants’ courtyard.
The moment she stepped through the gate, she heard the sharp crack of firewood splitting.
She walked inside and saw someone chopping wood.
The person had his back to her, so she couldn’t see his face. All she could make out was his jet-black hair tied into a small braid and the coarse linen clothes he wore.
Judging from his back, he was a young man—tall and lean, yet solidly muscled. Whenever he raised the axe and brought it down with force, she could glimpse the arm half-hidden beneath his clothing, the clean, efficient flex and contraction of his muscles.
The moment Mei Man saw that figure, a bad feeling rose in her chest.
Instinctively, she turned to leave, but he had already noticed the movement behind him.
The axe halted in midair as he turned his head to look at her.
A pair of dark, unfathomable eyes met her gaze.
It was Xie Xu.
Mei Man’s heart sank sharply.
It really was him.
