Silence spread through the hall.
A deathly stillness descended upon everyone present.
In the cultivation world, there was nothing wrong with being attracted to the same sex. Even loving a nonhuman race was hardly unheard of. But cultivators who could truly steel their hearts and change their own gender were few and far between.
The reason was simple: the requirements were far too demanding.
Cultivators who were deeply attached to their own gender found it difficult to overcome the obstacles in their state of mind and successfully question their Dao hearts. Naturally, they had no way to alter their gender. Those who did possess the ability to change their gender, meanwhile, had usually tempered themselves through countless trials. Unless faced with a life-or-death crisis, who would abandon the body they had painstakingly cultivated to reconstruct it?
If the reconstruction went wrong, it could even affect their future cultivation. At most, some cultivators with rather ordinary features would take the opportunity to give themselves a makeover and improve their appearance. But someone capable of replacing their entire body from head to toe was truly a rarity seen only once in a century.
Still, although such people were rare, they did exist. Most cultivators who changed their gender did so because they had gotten into trouble and needed to conceal their identities. Almost none of them would openly speak of it.
Thus, when Shu Xin said this, the cultivators were all dumbfounded.
They knew that cultivators who reached the Dao Infant Realm could indeed replace their bodies, but… how could someone like that possibly be right beside them?
【…I admit it. I really don’t understand you humans.】
The Sword Spirit had originally intended to sit back and enjoy the show. It had never imagined that Shu Xin would pull something like this.
Could it really fail to tell whether its own master was male or female?
“Of course. I have to give the cultivation world something to remember.” Shu Xin spoke smugly to the Sword Spirit.
Then, a gloomy look appeared on Shu Xin’s face. Looking utterly aggrieved, she said, “Junior Sister Lin, why aren’t you saying anything? Do you despise me and look down on me?”
“No, no, of course not.” Lin Youwei instinctively denied it. “That is your freedom. As cultivators, we must naturally follow our hearts before we can understand our true selves.”
Though she said this, Lin Youwei had already begun to question the truth of Shu Xin’s words.
If it was all a lie, then Shu Xin was terrifying beyond words to go this far simply to break off the engagement. She absolutely could not afford to make an enemy of her.
She was willing to throw away even her reputation and gender. What could there possibly be in this world that she still cared about?
But if it was true, then it would explain why she felt not the slightest bit of attachment to Situ Jian. Yet in that case, wouldn’t this person be even more frightening?
“As expected, you’re the only one who understands me, Junior Sister Lin.” Shu Xin took a step forward.
Lin Youwei took a step back.
Shu Xin advanced another two steps.
Lin Youwei retreated ten-odd steps in rapid succession.
“Junior Sister, you really still…” Shu Xin lowered her head, her voice even sounding choked with emotion.
“I just remembered that my ancestor had something to tell me.” An awkward yet perfectly polite smile appeared on Lin Youwei’s face. “Elder Shu, please rest assured. I will give you every last bit of what I promised. We’ll discuss it another day. There’s no hurry, no hurry.”
With that, Lin Youwei fled as if her backside were on fire, abandoning every trace of the composure expected of the “Hibiscus Fairy.” She hurried away in a panic.
Shu Xin then turned her gaze toward the disciples of the sect standing nearby.
The disciples immediately scattered in all directions.
They were both thrilled and embarrassed, practically itching to spread this earth-shattering gossip at once.
How shocking!
They had enough material to talk about for the next twenty years.
“Now things are peaceful again.” Shu Xin stretched lazily. “I’ll go find Situ Jian and tell him I sold him for a great price. I should at least let him know. If he wants a cut, we can always negotiate.”
【Honestly, if he doesn’t chop you to pieces, that’s true love.】the Sword Spirit said sincerely.
“Never underestimate the human race.” Shu Xin smiled. “Especially people who carry so many secrets. Their eyes only see the one thing they want to see.”
Situ Jian was one of the best examples.
And so was she.
Shu Xin soon arrived inside a pocket dimension.
Whether a cultivator’s dwelling was luxurious had nothing to do with how large it was or how magnificent its buildings were. What mattered was whether it contained abundant spiritual energy.
Especially after the three-thousand-year war, the spiritual energy in the cultivation world had grown thin and become mixed with all kinds of other forces. Nearly all the proper spirit veins had been destroyed, leaving only a few small ones, which had been claimed by the various sects.
As for unaffiliated cultivators outside those sects, they could only rely on the increasingly scarce spirit stones circulating in the world to cultivate. Alternatively, they could spend even more time filtering out the impurities in the air before absorbing the refined spiritual energy—but that was practically a losing bargain.
Thus, if a cultivator could not earn enough spirit stones, their cultivation might even regress. From this, countless grudges, loves, and feuds were born—but that was a story for later.
The clearest sign that Situ Jian was valued by the Changsheng Daoist Sect was that his dwelling was located at the very end of the sect’s spirit vein. Though it was only the tail end, the spiritual energy there was still astonishingly rich. Cultivators could practice there without the laborious process of refining the spiritual energy, and they certainly did not have to worry about burning through vast quantities of spirit stones.
Of course, Situ Jian had reached the advanced Dao Infant realm in only a hundred years—and that included the time he had spent discarding his former cultivation and starting over. He could truly be called a heaven-gifted genius.
After all, not everyone was like Shu Xin, with a Sword Spirit reputed to have slain immortals serving as a cheat-code instructor for their cultivation.
The moment Shu Xin stepped through the entrance to the pocket dimension, the defensive formation at the doorway automatically opened, allowing her inside.
As Situ Jian’s fiancée, she naturally had unrestricted access to his dwelling.
Unfortunately, the Sword Spirit followed her everywhere. Otherwise, if she had shamelessly come here to freeload on the dwelling’s spiritual energy, her cultivation would have been rising day by day. Why would she have needed to rack her brains earning spirit stones?
But the broken sword had too much immortal blood on it. Until the blade had been completely cleansed, it could not be moved carelessly—especially not inside a dwelling connected to the sect’s spirit vein.
One could never be too cautious.
For this reason, Shu Xin had wanted to sell the broken sword more than once.
“Hey, bro, are you cultivating again? You’re working way too hard. Come out already—I’ve got good news for you.” Shu Xin strode in without a care and called out.
Very good. Apparently, Shu Xin truly did not feel even the slightest bit guilty, the Sword Spirit thought.
The defensive formation of her fiancé’s dwelling had opened for her automatically, and yet she did not seem to care at all?
What a pity that spiritual energy was so thin these days. It was no longer suitable for cultivating the Ruthless Dao.
Otherwise, Shu Xin would have made such a fine candidate.
The Sword Spirit could not help sighing inwardly.
“I heard you.”
Before the words had even left his mouth, a tall, graceful cultivator with an extraordinary bearing had already walked toward them from within the grotto-heaven.
He looked to be just over twenty. His features were handsome and delicately refined, yet the cool composure between his brows gave him an ethereal air, as though he were an immortal who had withdrawn from the mortal world.
When Lin Youwei had taken a liking to Situ Jian, his fine appearance had been just as important as his talent and prospects.
Situ Jian took two steps toward Shu Xin, then stopped of his own accord. “From today onward, everyone will know that my fiancée used to be a man.”
“That’s why I call you my big brother,” Shu Xin said, completely unconcerned.
Situ Jian gave Shu Xin a long, deep look. “You’re simply you.”
In the presence of Shu Xin, the distinction between male and female seemed utterly insignificant.
Back then, she had taken him—despite their having met only once—through years of wandering from place to place. When she sensed that circumstances were turning against them, she had decisively brought him to join the Longevity Dao Sect. She had even managed to infiltrate this closed-off and decaying sect, successfully turning it into a place where they could settle.
Shu Xin’s cleverness had always been hidden beneath the surface.
As she put it, this was called “lying low and growing stronger.”
“You really know how to put things,” Shu Xin said, settling into the chair that belonged exclusively to her within the grotto-heaven. “The Lin family has had its eyes on you for more than a day or two. Or rather, all those cultivation clans are desperately in need of fresh blood. Otherwise, how could they preserve their glory?”
Even the finest ancestral grave could not send up auspicious smoke every single time.
If the Lin family wanted to put down roots in the Longevity Dao Sect, it had to ensure that talented descendants emerged generation after generation.
But with the glory of a great clan and all the advantages cultivation families provided, how many people could truly refuse a comfortable, affluent life to temper their Dao heart and challenge the barriers of the Dao?
Thus, a genius as gifted and unattached as Situ Jian was naturally the ideal target for a marriage alliance.
“The Lin family has a long history within the sect—seven or eight hundred years, I’d say. But if their ancestor fails once again in his attempt to break through to the Immaculate Realm, their standing will have to drop another notch. His lifespan is already nearly exhausted, so naturally he has to make arrangements for his descendants.”
Shu Xin commented on these accomplished cultivation magnates in an easygoing tone. “But the sect’s power is all in the hands of these great clans. If you want to advance any further, you have no choice but to ally yourself with them. Marriage is the fastest way. Before, you had me as a shield to help filter out those minor clans. But now, the Lin family is offering a very good price.”
“I can only help you this far with what you want,” Shu Xin said seriously. “I have plenty of secrets, and so do you. It’s about time this came to an end.”
“...Where are you planning to go?” Situ Jian did not answer Shu Xin directly. Instead, he asked her a question.
“I didn’t expect the Lin family to be so generous. Even a Grotto-Heaven True Person at a higher cultivation level than mine would be tempted. That being the case, I can’t stay in the sect any longer.”
Shu Xin smiled and shook her head. “When the time comes, I’ll transfer my subordinates to you. They’ve followed me for so many years, and they’re all quite capable when it comes to handling day-to-day affairs. Your prospects are excellent, so I’m sure they’ll be happy to work for you. As for my businesses, I trust you won’t pocket my spirit stones. Just send them to me according to our usual arrangement.”
“Never put all your eggs in one basket” had always been Shu Xin’s favorite saying.
She spoke with such clarity and precision that it was obvious she had made her plans long ago and already secured a way out—perhaps more than one.
It was as though everything between him and her had been nothing more than a perfectly transparent transaction.
A century-long marriage contract had failed to stir even the slightest ripple in her heart.
Her Dao heart was truly unshakable.
No wonder she had been able to cultivate so quickly.
“When are you leaving?” Situ Jian asked.
“Probably after your Dao Infant Ceremony.” Shu Xin blinked. “I have to get what the Lin family promised me before I can leave.”
“What exactly did they give you?” Situ Jian pressed.
“Hm? Didn’t you hear?” Shu Xin rubbed the tip of her nose. “You heard it yourself, didn’t you?”
“When you and Lin Youwei were discussing my price, you used a spell to block eavesdropping. I didn’t hear the rest,” Situ Jian replied calmly.
“See, Sword Spirit? He’s asking me for a cut.” Shu Xin clicked her tongue in admiration and transmitted her voice to the Sword Spirit through divine sense. “He’s much more seasoned than he was a hundred years ago. He even knows how to be tactful now.”
【...Is it possible that he doesn’t mean that?】
“If he doesn’t mean that, then what else could he mean?” Shu Xin retorted. “People die for wealth, and birds die for food. You still don’t understand.”
【All right, all right.】The Sword Spirit decided to remain silent.
“The list of resources I provided you with over the past century is all here. I charged them twice the highest market price for everything.” Shu Xin took out a jade slip filled with densely packed records.
For example, on such-and-such a day in such-and-such a year, she had given Situ Jian a certain spirit fungus worth a certain amount of money, and so on.
She had even formatted it like an Excel spreadsheet for easy reference.
A wage slave’s spirit was a wage slave’s soul—she couldn’t afford to lose those job skills.
Situ Jian read through it item by item, his tone ominous. “You certainly kept detailed records.”
“Of course. Accounts have to be precise, or you’ll end up in court.” Shu Xin looked rather pleased with herself. “But don’t worry. I quietly upgraded the quality of some of the resources. The Lin family is wealthy and powerful, so they won’t quibble over things like that. Once you add up all those resources over all these years, it’s quite a substantial sum. With it, I’ll be able to buy the ‘Fingertip Profound Light’ I want.”
“Is that all?” Situ Jian continued asking.
“That’s not enough?” Shu Xin coughed. “Of course there’s more. For example, emotional-distress compensation, public-relations fees...” Shu Xin pulled up another bill. “I even allowed her to pay in pills and magical artifacts, and let her pay in installments. With you here, I’m not worried that she’ll try to default.”
Situ Jian’s expression remained impassive.
“Take your time looking it over.” Seeing that Situ Jian continued staring at the jade slip, Shu Xin hurriedly added, “If it’s not enough, I can make a few more copies for you to keep as backups.”
“No need.” Situ Jian tossed the jade slip back to Shu Xin. “Taken together, these resources are indeed quite valuable.”
“So in the end, we still have to squeeze money out of these wealthy families. The Lin family can’t afford to invite any more trouble right now. When a matter can be settled with resources, they won’t choose to use force—especially not when they’re already at a disadvantage in terms of reputation.”
Shu Xin knew this all too well. After all, clans like these still cared very much about their public image. They called it “the bearing of an aristocratic clan.”
“I could split some of these with you, too…” Though it pained her, Shu Xin was willing to offer up a portion on her own.
They had known each other for so long. She could afford to be a little more generous.
“These are the things I’ve accumulated over all these years.” Situ Jian took out a storage ring and tossed it to Shu Xin. “The Lin family gave you compensation, so naturally, I can’t let myself be outdone. Since you’re leaving, consider this my compensation.”
Shu Xin swept the ring with her divine sense, immediately slipped it onto her finger, and branded it with her own divine sense.
“You actually had this much private money hidden away?” Shu Xin drew in a sharp breath. It was almost as much as what the Lin family had given her.
Situ Jian was truly skilled at making money.
“After I reached the Dao Nascent realm, the sect gave me quite a few rewards. Disciples of all ranks within the sect also sent me congratulatory gifts. I exchanged some of the gifts I had no use for into resources suitable for those in the Dao Nascent realm. The rest I converted into spirit stones.”
Situ Jian answered calmly, “There are plenty of ways to make money in the Everlasting Dao Sect. I’m considered a core disciple now, after all, so I naturally don’t lack resources. I originally had a few more…”
“Keep those for yourself. This is already more than enough for me.” Shu Xin had originally come prepared to lose a chunk of her own wealth. She had never expected to leave with so much more instead. A person shouldn’t be too greedy.
She gave Situ Jian an entirely unreserved thumbs-up, her radiant smile bright as the stars in the sky.
Now she would have to contact the new sect she intended to join and ask them to come pick her up as soon as possible.
She had to get that fingertip arcane light as well!
Otherwise, she was afraid she might end up surrounded and attacked by a whole crowd of Grotto-Heaven Adepts.
“Then it’s settled. I should go figure out my escape route first.” Afraid that Situ Jian might change his mind, Shu Xin now wanted nothing more than to hurry back, refine the storage ring properly, and set up dozens of defensive formations around it, lest someone come after her to kill her and seize her treasures.
And that nagging Sword Spirit needed to shoulder a heavier burden too—namely, the responsibility of protecting these precious resources.
“Sister Shu.” Situ Jian remained where he was and called out the name he had used for Shu Xin a hundred years ago.
A hundred years had rushed by, yet it felt as if nothing had ever changed.
“What is it?” Shu Xin stopped and turned back in surprise. “It seems that ever since you grew taller than me, you haven’t called me that anymore.”
Back then, he had been such an endearing boy.
He had been hiding among a heap of corpses, yet his eyes had been as limpid and damp as a fawn’s.
Otherwise, how could she have taken a strange young boy with her as she traveled from place to place?
Having a pretty face really did come with its advantages.
“Nothing.” Situ Jian clasped his hands behind his back and said calmly, “Goodbye.”
“Don’t worry.” Shu Xin waved an arm, striding away with the wind at her back. In the blink of an eye, she had disappeared without a trace.
Situ Jian returned to his cave abode and resumed his secluded cultivation.
If he wanted to rise higher within the sect and advance more quickly in his cultivation, he could not afford to stop for even a moment, much less allow himself the slightest slackening.
It was only after the moon had risen that several disciples in inner-sect robes came hurrying from afar. They cupped their hands toward him and called, “Senior Brother, we have completed the mission without fail.”
Only then did Situ Jian return to his senses from his meditation. With a wave of his hand, he seized them and brought them directly before him.
“Senior Brother Situ.”
“Senior Brother, we have lived up to your expectations. We finally brought back what you wanted.”
“It’s truly fortunate that we managed to return before your grand ceremony.”
Excitement glittered across the disciples’ faces as they hurriedly brought out the item they had guarded so carefully.
For this object, they had risked their lives several times over, spent a substantial amount of the resources Situ Jian had given them for the exchange, and even borrowed the sect’s name before they could make it back safely.
Situ Jian had commissioned it fifty years ago. It had taken painstaking effort to cultivate, and only recently had it finally reached completion. That was when they had been secretly dispatched to retrieve it.
They presented a box carved with countless sealing arrays. Inside was a single, tiny bead.
The instant the box was opened, the bead suddenly floated into the air.
Perfectly round, it radiated astonishing spiritual energy from every inch of its surface, tinged with the faintest trace of red. It was beautiful, like the embodiment of the moon in the heavens.
That was why it bore such a lovely name: the Fingertip Moon.
It was something that could only be obtained after countless strands of Fingertip Arcane Light had been painstakingly cultivated and solidified.
It was even more precious than the Fingertip Arcane Light that countless sword cultivators desperately sought.
Most importantly, because of its beauty, it was far better known as a token of affection between dual-cultivation partners than as a material for cultivation.
As the saying went, “The bright moon above, true hearts below.” It was said that when two prominent cultivation clans within the sect arranged a marriage alliance, the Fingertip Moon presented as the betrothal gift had been no larger than a grain of rice.
This one, however, was as large as a fingernail!
“Senior Brother, with your heart’s blood infused into it, this Fingertip Moon will be even purer than ordinary ones.” The disciples struggled to suppress the greed in their hearts, because they knew better than anyone just how formidable this seemingly refined and honorable senior brother could be.
“That’s right, Senior Brother. A Fingertip Moon cannot be burned, soaked in water, exposed to wind or rain, or buried in earth. It can only be preserved within a box of sealing arrays. Fortunately, your attainments in formations are astonishing. You concealed the spiritual energy of this Fingertip Moon, or the few of us might not have made it back safely.” The disciples lavished praise upon Situ Jian.
Situ Jian picked up the Fingertip Moon, and for once, a faint smile appeared on his face.
He rarely smiled. In the past hundred years, only a handful of people had ever seen that smile.
For a moment, it was as though a cluster of pale-yellow winter jasmine had bloomed upon a snow-covered mountain in winter. In an instant, the ice melted and the snow dissolved, and countless beautiful images seemed ready to burst forth.
It was even more captivating than the Fingertip Moon itself.
“It truly is a precious and fragile thing,” Situ Jian murmured as he examined the Fingertip Moon for a long while.
“Yes, Senior Brother. When the time comes, you can either keep it for yourself or give it to someone…” The disciples were just about to continue their flattery when Situ Jian suddenly relaxed his grip.
The Fingertip Moon fell to the ground.
The more precious and rare something was, the more easily it shattered. In the end, all such things could only streak across the sky like meteors, leaving behind a few faint fragments of memory.
The instant it touched the ground, the Fingertip Moon suddenly shattered, transforming into countless specks of mysterious light that drifted away into the air.
“Senior Brother.”
“Senior Brother!”
“Could it be that this Fingertip Moon was fake?” Several disciples’ eyes widened. Heartbroken, they fell to their knees and tried to scoop up the Fingertip Moon that had vanished in an instant.
Situ Jian merely watched in silence, making no move to stop them.
“The item was genuine.” With a sweep of his sleeve, Situ Jian sent the disciples out of his cave abode. “You’ve finished what you came here to do. Go back.”
The disciples exchanged bewildered glances, completely unable to make sense of it.
Situ Jian simply returned to his cave abode and continued cultivating.
