After Infusing Love Poison to the Cold Sword Sovereign - Chapter 13

In the latter half of the night, the temperature dropped again, and a heavy rainstorm began.

Wu Ruo slept lightly, waking several times in between, seemingly trapped in muddled, fragmented dreams that left her dazed. By the time the hour of mao (5-7 AM) arrived the next day, she had, for the first time ever, failed to rise.

Luo Qingyi was already accustomed to her routine. Seeing that Wu Ruo hadn’t gotten up, she didn’t rush her. Instead, she gazed at the girl’s peaceful sleeping face before sitting in the small courtyard at dawn, basking in the glow of the sunrise.

Then, she locked eyes with a pair of eyes brimming with gossip.

Chuncao was perched on the wall, half her butt sticking out, while below the wall stood the “Commander of the Spring Water,” directing her on how to climb over.

The two girls were doing their best to keep their voices low, but Luo Qingyi caught them red-handed. The four eyes met, and the awkwardness was palpable.

“Wow! A stunning beauty…” Chuncao, who was usually quick with words, was momentarily stunned by Luo Qingyi’s grace and bearing, her tongue tied as she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“Did the Holy Maiden catch you? Chuncao, hurry up and climb down before you get beaten, what’s wrong with you?!”

The girl below the wall, named Lanting, had been tugging at Chuncao’s shoe to steady her now left holding only one shoe and stared dumbfounded as her friend tumbled headfirst into the courtyard.

Chuncao had lost her grip, her balance unsteady, and she plummeted face-first toward the ground.

Oh no, oh no, my face is ruined… Huh?

Just as her face was about to hit the ground, a cold current of air cushioned beneath her, gently catching her before setting her down safely.

Luo Qingyi wasn’t even looking at her, instead holding a book in her hands, her white robes giving her the aura of an immortal. “Who are you?”

“Hehe, I’m Wu Ruo’s disciple! My name’s Chuncao!” The girl snapped out of her daze from the impact of such breathtaking beauty, completely forgetting about her little companion still outside the wall. “You must be the friend Ruo-jie mentioned! You really are a fairy descended from the heavens!”

Luo Qingyi quickly realized this was the disciple Wu Ruo had once mentioned. She gave a slight nod. “Mm, hello.”

Chuncao was the type to instantly warm up to people. The moment Luo Qingyi acknowledged her, she got so excited she forgot all about her original mission of spying on her master’s situation. Barefoot and grinning, she chattered away.

“Is my teacher still asleep? Did you two sleep together? What do you think of her.”

As she spoke, she sneakily peeked toward the house. Seeing no movement inside, she guiltily lowered her voice even further.

“Mm,” Luo Qingyi replied.

What did “mm” mean? Was she answering the first question or the second? Chuncao’s excitement flared again, her imagination running wild, Wu Ruo’s bed was indeed big enough for two, so hehe…

Her eyes darted around before she stole another glance inside, but the folding screen blocked her view, and there was still no sign of Wu Ruo.

Then she noticed Luo Qingyi’s clothes, they seemed to be the ones Wu Ruo had specially gone down the mountain to buy a few days prior, painstakingly selecting them from several shops before secretly purchasing a matching set. And this swordswoman didn’t seem the least bit resistant to the idea.

Ah, so that’s how it is! She understood now! Her teacher wasn’t pining away unrequited!

She took a deep breath, steadying her qi, and declared in a loud, clear voice: “What lovely weather today, Shiniang!”

The moment the words left her mouth, shock rippled through the scene. Outside the wall, Lanting couldn’t see a thing but was desperate for gossip, scrambling up the bricks and tiles to get a better look.

In the courtyard, Luo Qingyi frowned slightly. “Mm?”

The term “shiniang” (master’s wife) generally refers to the… partner of one’s teacher?

Even with her memory lost, Luo Qingyi retained some common sense. She knew that some cultivators would form dual cultivation partnerships for the sake of their practice. But with three thousand paths to the Dao, all are followed by fate she remained indifferent to such matters.

In this world, the only thing a cultivator should seek in this life is the Great Dao. As for everything else, they are but illusions, external things that are dispensable. One must never forsake the true path for the sake of comfort and pleasure.

Though she had lost her past memories, she could sense that she was naturally aloof and detached from matters of love, treating everything with indifference, unentangled by any red threads of karma.

Love, forming partnerships with others… these were not within her understanding.

Had this little girl misunderstood something?

Chuncao was perceptive. Seeing Luo Qingyi’s puzzled expression, she immediately understood her teacher currently had no official status.

She quickly corrected herself, “Oh, oh, my mistake! You’re my teacher’s friend, so you’re also my teacher! Once a teacher, always a mother, let me kowtow to you!”

Luo Qingyi flicked her sleeve, a wisp of energy swirling around Chuncao to stop the girl’s impulsive gesture. “No need.”

Chuncao grinned. She hadn’t actually planned to kowtow anyway she was just diverting her “shiniang’s” attention. Her teacher was too slow; it was up to her, the most outstanding disciple, to give them a push!

“Big sister, what do you think of my teacher?”

“Very good.”

Chuncao’s eyes rolled mischievously as she seized the opportunity to probe further. “Big sister, I’ve heard that many powerful figures in the cultivation world form pairs, and they cultivate even better that way. Do you think this method works? My teacher always scolds me for not working hard maybe I should try falling in love too.”

“Absolutely not.”

At these words, Luo Qingyi’s brows lowered slightly, her beautiful eyes narrowing with stern disapproval. “Cultivation is the pursuit of enlightenment and the refinement of one’s heart. If one always seeks shortcuts, how can they ever find their true path or reach a state of no regrets?”

“The Great Dao is the law of heaven and earth, the cycle of cause and effect. It is the purpose of our existence. Cultivators shall bathe in the blessings of the world, embracing the radiance of severed attachments. How could one abandon the root for the sake of fleeting romance?”

The sword cultivator’s expression was icy, her tone even carrying a hint of anger at the blasphemy against her lifelong pursuit. For a moment, Chuncao couldn’t help but shiver, even feeling a little afraid.

She wasn’t the most studious and didn’t fully understand, but she could sense that the woman before her was displeased with her words.

It seemed… the other party believed that love hindered cultivation and ascension?

Scratching her head, the inexperienced girl knew little about such matters. She recalled the romance novels she’d read, where the protagonists indeed acted this way and that, and awkwardly tried to save face. “Heh, I see… My teacher never mentioned this. She just confiscates my books.”

Luo Qingyi paused. “So those were your books.”

The topic shifted, and Chuncao immediately grew excited again, launching into her chatterbox mode as she begged and pleaded to get her confiscated novels back.

Outside the courtyard, the commotion was lively, but inside the room, Wu Ruo sat on the bed, slowly exhaling a breath she had been holding.

Her slender arms weakly braced against the bedside as her gaze drifted aimlessly, lost in thought.

She had woken up the moment Chuncao fell from the wall.

Perhaps it was her selfishness at play, the moment she heard the words “Shiniang” (master’s wife), she didn’t step out to stop it. Instead, she wanted to hear Luo Qingyi’s reaction. Would she silently accept it?

Then, like a bucket of cold water poured over her head, the faint hope she had just ignited was utterly extinguished.

How could a proud and gifted cultivator like Luo Qingyi ever be held back by trivial matters?

Her heart felt light, and so did her movements. She lay back down gently, closing her eyes softly she heard Chuncao leave the room and Luo Qingyi step inside.

She lay behind a folding screen in the corner of her own hut, like a rat afraid of the light, like a pitiful clown that everyone in the room would laugh at.

Yes, she should have torn away the flimsy veil of delusion in her heart long ago. She should have known it was all her own wishful thinking, should have known that Luo Qingyi was never someone she could yearn for or love.

She should have realized it sooner, Luo Qingyi would never love her.

The footsteps in the room were so light they were almost imperceptible. When she slept, Luo Qingyi always deliberately softened her steps, sometimes even tucking her in on cold, rainy nights.

But Luo Qingyi didn’t love her.

Wu Ruo lay quietly for a while, her drenched heart gradually settling. She stretched lazily, as if to cover up her turmoil, then sat up quickly and dressed in a hurry.

“Ah, I overslept! Qingyi, what time is it?”

She masked the chill in her heart with a loud voice. Fortunately, Luo Qingyi didn’t seem to suspect anything and replied gently, “No need to rush. Last night, your qi was unstable and your spirit was weak, so I didn’t wake you. As for morning lessons, I’ve already spoken to your disciple.”

“That’s great, then I’ll lie down a little longer.” Following her usual demeanor, Wu Ruo quickly retreated behind her folding screen, pulling the blanket over her head as if fleeing.

She didn’t want to see Luo Qingyi’s face.

“Alright, rest well.” Luo Qingyi didn’t seem to notice her low spirits and instead turned to the table, covering a bowl with a lid.

A faint aroma of food drifted into her nose not particularly strong, but carrying the warmth of home.

It was her favorite clear noodles.

Wu Ruo watched silently, then glanced outside where wisps of smoke still rose from the stove. Her nose stung, but no tears welled up in her eyes.

Luo Qingyi might never love her, yet she kept giving her the illusion of being cherished.

She was trapped in it, unable to break free.

Chuncao had a big mouth. Before long, the entire Miaojiang region knew that a stunningly beautiful and aloof cultivator, one with extraordinary skills was staying in Wu Ruo’s home. Everyone was curious.

Wu Ruo was questioned by Chuncao, who even teased her a little. The girl was straightforward and didn’t notice anything unusual about Luo Qingyi, she just thought Wu Ruo was hopeless at wooing a wife and volunteered to be her “strategist.”

Only Lanting Chuncao’s friend approached Wu Ruo privately and got straight to the point: “Teacher, I think Sister Luo might be…”

She was interrupted by Chuncao, who had been searching for her everywhere and noisily dragged her away to play.

Wu Ruo smiled and patted Lanting’s head. “Go play. I know.”

Cultivators were the most detached of all, she should have known that long ago.

Seeing this, Lanting said no more and prepared to leave with Chuncao. But the fearless Chuncao, never intimidated by authority, insisted on dragging Wu Ruo along for a trip down the mountain.

Wu Ruo agreed. Recently, her eyelids had been twitching incessantly. If she were to connect it to events in her life, it would most likely concern the thing she cared about most, Luo Qingyi.

Lately, she had also been having fragmented dreams, dreams of Luo Qingyi leaving without a word, dreams of returning home one day to find the small courtyard empty.

So, she often thought of going down the mountain to pray for blessings or to buy something.

The consequences of a love charm were something she couldn’t bear, and she had never considered using one on Luo Qingyi. Instead, she kept searching for other opportunities, anything that might increase the other’s affection for her.

Wu Ruo sent a message via paper crane to Luo Qingyi, informing her that she might not return today, then descended the mountain with the two girls, one lively, the other quiet.

She had no idea that after she left the mountain, she would brush past a group of ominous figures.

Those cultivators, cloaked in a guise of splendor, carried an aura wreathed in dark smoke.

They were demonic cultivators.

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