Yun Xiu stepped into the house. Wrinkling her nose, she scanned the room, her eyes landing on a bowl in Su Yan's hands.
"This?" Yun Xiu asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I made it, Sect Master," Su Yan replied with a hopeful smile.
A strange expression crossed Yun Xiu's face. "Oh."
"You should try it. It tastes good," Su Yan encouraged, her eyes wide with anticipation.
Yun Xiu hesitated, wanting to refuse but knowing it would be impolite to reject Su Yan's offering outright. With a resigned sigh, she took the bowl and tasted.
Surprisingly, it wasn't as bad as it smelled. In fact, it was quite good.
"Although it smells bad, it's actually quite tasty," Yun Xiu admitted after a moment.
"Yes, Sect Master," Su Yan beamed.
"Hmm, don't call me Sect Master all the time. Just call me Sister Yun when we're alone," Yun Xiu said, a soft smile playing on her lips.
Su Yan nodded eagerly.
"Where's Yu Mei?" Yun Xiu asked, glancing around.
"She was tired and fell asleep shortly after you left," Su Yan replied.
Nearby, Hun Yu lounged casually, a slight smirk on his face.
Time slipped by quickly, and soon it was time for the disciple acceptance ceremony. Everyone gathered to watch the event.
Yun Xiu's face was hidden behind a delicate veil, and in front of her stood Yu Mei, dressed in meticulously cleaned and beautiful clothes.
Guests from the Ling, Xue, Hou, and Wang families The four Major family were present, even the heads of these major families attended. The Ling family was renowned because the Empress comes from their lineage. The Xue family was famed for their immense wealth. The Hou family was known for their brute strength and powerful physiques. Lastly, the Wang family was celebrated for producing skilled alchemists.
The heads of these families, along with many small sects and clan leaders, were in attendance. However, no one from the imperial family had come.
And other major forces sent their congratulations and representatives.
Today marked the significant event of the Sky Wind Sect's master accepting a disciple, a momentous occasion that signified the selection of a future sect master and the current Young Master of the sect.
All eyes were on young Yu Mei standing before Yun Xiu. Feeling the weight of their stares, the little girl shifted uncomfortably.
"This girl looks ordinary to me. Nothing special," one of the guests muttered.
"Yes, it seems the Sky Wind Sect is desperate to decline," another whispered. The murmurs came from the head of the Ling and Wang families, their voices low. They knew they were not in their territory and dared not provoke the sect.
Just as the ceremony was concluding, an old man suddenly appeared in the audience. His presence caused the heads of the prominent families to pale and bow immediately, confusing the rest of the attendees.
"Greetings, Guardian!" they chorused.
The room fell silent. Everyone knew there was only one person in the empire with the title of Guardian—the Guardian of the imperial family, a peak high lord cultivator and the strongest in the empire.
"No need to bow. I am here just to congratulate the Sect Master on accepting a disciple," the old man said, his voice resonating through the hall.
Yun Xiu's eyebrow arched at the old man's appearance. She could sense his power, possibly on par with that of the Poison Lion King.
Yet, she was confident he wouldn't dare act recklessly here.
The old man scrutinized Yu Mei closely.
"Oh, how fortunate the Sect Master is to have found a disciple with a special physique," he announced loudly, ensuring everyone could hear.
Upon his arrival, he had immediately noticed the unique physique of the little girl.
While he couldn't act directly, he could at least stir trouble for the Sky Wind Sect by making this information public.
A flash of anger crossed Yun Xiu's eyes. She knew the old man had revealed this on purpose; she had wanted to keep Yu Mei's physique a secret.
"A special physique?" The guests exclaimed in surprise.
They had heard of such rare and powerful attributes, but encountering someone with a special physique was exceedingly rare.
The heads of the Ling and Wang families, who had just been questioning the worth of Yun Xiu's new disciple, were now eating their words.
The fact that the Guardian himself had identified the physique left no room for doubt.
Even the elders of the sect were astonished.
"God bless our sect," one elder murmured joyfully, casting a taunting glance at the heads of the other families.
As guests were treated and festivities continued, Su Yan and Hun Yu watched from a distance where they could still see the ceremony.
"Hmm, it's finally over," Su Yan sighed, relieved.
She and Hun Yu had decided to watch from afar. Su Yan wanted to avoid her grandfather's meddling, while Hun Yu preferred to remain unnoticed.
Just as they were about to leave, they heard approaching footsteps.
"Ling Huo?" Su Yan called out, recognizing the figure.
"Oh, now you remember my name? My fiancée," he said mockingly.
At the word "fiancée," a volcano of anger erupted inside her. "Who are you calling your fiancée? You aren't even worthy of being the dust under my feet," she snapped.
Even Hun Yu was taken aback by this small, arrogant boy claiming to be Su Yan's fiancé.
Ling Huo remained silent, knowing that no matter what she said, her fate was sealed in his mind.
Su Yan, seeing the smug expression on his face, felt an overwhelming urge to kill him.
Killing intent radiated from Su Yan, causing Ling Huo to instinctively back away. "You! You want to kill me?" he stammered.
Hun Yu, standing behind her, placed a calming hand on her shoulder. Feeling his touch, she snapped back to her senses. "You're lucky. Don't ever show me your face again, or don't blame me for what happens."
"And I only have Brother Hun in my heart. Even if I die, I won't marry someone like you," she declared, using Hun Yu's name to rid herself of this parasite.
Ling Huo's face twisted with anger at her words. "I only have Brother Hun in my heart" echoed in his mind, fueling his rage.
Behind Su Yan, Hun Yu's eyes widened in surprise and confusion. What?! He quickly realized she was using him to escape this situation or provoke the short-haired boy, and decided to stay silent, sensing this might bring trouble.
Seeing Ling Huo's angry expression, Su Yan felt a wave of satisfaction.
Initially, she didn't despise Ling Huo, but her grandfather's arranged marriage between them made her loathe his presence.
Did her grandfather's vision extend no further than this lecherous boy? Why would she marry someone she didn't know and couldn't stand?
Now, she truly detested Ling Huo. If given the chance, she wouldn't hesitate to kill him, regardless of his status as her grandfather's disciple. She would never marry against her will.
Determined to enrage him further, she grabbed Hun Yu's hand and started to walk away. Ling Huo watched, frustration and helplessness etched on his face.
He knew confronting her directly would result in a beating. However, a sinister smile spread across his lips. Raising his hand, two Figures wearing full black clothes with thier apperance consealed Appeared behind him.
"Stop them," he commanded, and the two figures blocked Su Yan and Hun Yu's path.
Su Yan's eyes narrowed at the sight of the black-clad figures. "You dare act wild in this sect?" she spat, drawing her sword.
Though she knew these figures were stronger, she wouldn't admit defeat without a fight. She could guess they were brought by Ling Huo.
One of the Figure swiftly neutralized Hun Yu, pressing a blade to his neck before he could draw his sword. Even Hun Yu was startled by the speed.
Su Yan froze, her eyes blazing. "You!"
"Move one step forward, and this masked man dies," Ling Huo said with a smirk, gesturing to Hun Yu.
As he approached Su Yan, panic flashed across Hun Yu's face. He didn't want anything to happen to her because of his weakness.
His heartbeat quickened, anxiety building, until suddenly, a strange calm washed over him. Everything became clear. His anxious thoughts and panic faded away, replaced by a focused clarity.
Ling Huo moved his hand closer to touch Su Yan but hesitated. "Oh, how can I touch you?" he mocked, pulling his hand back slightly.
"Wait, you are my fiancée. I can touch you," he said with a grin, moving his hand towards her again.
Su Yan had to endure it. Only she knew how much the Sect Master valued Hun Yu. These intruders thought he was just a random person and would kill him if she made a move.
She glanced at Hun Yu, whose face was covered by a mask, and noticed his hands making different signs.
Is this a message? she wondered, focusing on his movements. Realizing what he was communicating, a smile appeared on her face.
The two figures sensed something was wrong but couldn't identify what. Just as Ling Huo's hand was about to touch Su Yan, she moved swiftly. Grabbing Ling Huo by the hair, she pinned him to the ground with her sword at his neck.
"Now let's see who kills whom," she said, her voice icy.
The two figures panicked. They hadn't expected this.
"LEAVE ME, OTHERWISE—" Ling Huo shouted, but dirt filled his mouth as Su Yan pressed his face harder into the ground.
As he spoke, Su Yan's sword moved, creating a visible cut and radiating killing intent. "Say another word, and you're dead," she warned. Feeling the intense killing intent, he shut up.
"Let him go if you don't want him to die," she demanded.
The two figures hesitated but, seeing her move her sword again, instantly released Hun Yu.
The moment they did, Hun Yu pulled something from his pocket and threw it into the sky. It exploded with a bright flash.
"A signal device!" one of the figures muttered.
Yun Xiu had given this device to Hun Yu for emergencies. If he used it, she would arrive in an instant.
Though the figures' faces were hidden, Hun Yu could imagine their expressions—filled with fear and realization. They had underestimated him and Su Yan and had tried to kill him.
This incident could put the entire Ling family at risk. The Sky Wind Sect was multiple times stronger than all four major families combined. Since they dared to act wild here, they would face the consequences.
As these thoughts raced through his mind, a figure appeared in the sky—a woman wearing a veil to hide her appearance, a sword in one hand.
"What happened?" her voice echoed, authoritative and cold.