After My Rebirth, I Ended Up Happily Ever After with the Saintess - Chapter 28

The tranquility of Yun Dan Peak was not a complete silence. As Ye Li settled in, she gradually began to encounter the other disciples of the peak.

On this day, she was practicing the optimized nameless movement technique—the ‘Shadow Step’—in her small courtyard. Her figure shifted and flashed within the limited space, leaving trails of afterimages, her control over her strength becoming increasingly subtle and precise.

Suddenly, a slightly flustered sound of footsteps came from outside the courtyard and stopped by the fence.

“Ye… Ye Senior Sister?” a female voice, sounding a little timid and tentative, asked.

Ye Li stopped her movement, her breathing steady. Outside the fence stood a girl her age, dressed in the light blue robes of an Inner Sect disciple. Her face was delicate, but her eyes were somewhat evasive, showing a lack of confidence. Her cultivation was around the high stage of the Spirit Awakening Realm (QıˇlıˊngJıˋng), her aura stable but seemingly lacking sharpness.

“Is something the matter?” Ye Li asked, her tone flat.

The girl seemed startled and quickly waved her hand: “No… nothing major! My name is Liu Yiyi, and I… I am also an Inner Sect disciple of Yun Dan Peak, living in a small courtyard not far from here. I heard that Senior Sister is new, and was also this year’s top performer in the assessment, so I… I specially came to pay my respects.”

As she spoke, she produced a small bamboo basket from behind her back, containing several red, spiritually vibrant fruits: “These are Vermillion Visage Fruits (ZhuˉyaˊnGuoˇ) that I grew myself. They taste quite good and can slightly nourish the blood and qi. I… I brought them for Senior Sister to try.”

Her attitude was respectful, mixed with a desire to please, even a little subservient, as Ye Li’s reputation as the top assessor clearly put a lot of pressure on her.

Ye Li’s gaze swept over the basket of fruits, then over Liu Yiyi’s nervous expression, and she nodded slightly: “Thank you. Come in and sit.”

Liu Yiyi was overwhelmed by the unexpected honor. She cautiously walked into the courtyard and placed the bamboo basket on the stone table, but did not dare to actually sit down, looking somewhat helpless.

“How long have you been an Inner Sect disciple, Junior Sister Liu?” Ye Li asked casually, picking up a Vermillion Visage Fruit. It was slightly warm to the touch and pure in spiritual energy, clearly tended to with care.

“To answer Senior Sister, I have been here for three years,” Liu Yiyi replied softly, a hint of shame on her face. “My aptitude is dull, and I have yet to break through the Meridians Condensing Realm (NıˊngmaˋiJıˋng). I have let Master down.”

Ye Li glanced at her. The girl had a good nature but seemed to lack confidence and sharpness. Being stuck at the peak of the Spirit Awakening Realm for so long was likely more a matter of her state of mind.

“The path of cultivation has its own destiny. There is no need to belittle yourself,” Ye Li said calmly.

Hearing this, Liu Yiyi’s eyes brightened slightly, as if she had received some comfort. She looked at Ye Li with gratitude: “Thank you, Senior Sister.”

As the two were talking, a hearty voice came from outside the courtyard: “Oh? Junior Sister Yiyi is here too? It seems the new Junior Sister has arrived?”

Before the voice faded, a tall young man with a neat appearance and a large gourd hanging from his waist strode in. He looked about twenty, with handsome features and a free-spirited smile. His cultivation was clearly at the mid-stage of the Meridians Condensing Realm, his aura thick and carrying a faint scent of medicinal fire.

“Han… Han Li Senior Brother!” Liu Yiyi quickly bowed upon seeing the newcomer, seemingly a little afraid of him.

The young man named Han Li casually waved his hand, his eyes shining as he looked at Ye Li, openly scrutinizing her with curiosity: “You’re the one who took first place in the assessment but chose our shabby Yun Dan Peak, Junior Sister Ye Li? Tsk tsk, interesting indeed! I heard you even beat down that block of wood, Shi Feng, from Battle Maniac Peak? Well done! I’ve been annoyed with those brutes who only know raw strength for ages!”

He spoke quickly, his personality seeming very outgoing and cheerful.

Ye Li slightly frowned, feeling a little uncomfortable with his familiarity and slightly presumptuous gaze, but she could sense no malice, just his inherent nature. She nodded slightly: “Ye Li. Greetings, Senior Brother Han.”

“Haha, easy, easy!” Han Li laughed heartily, picking up a Vermillion Visage Fruit from the stone table and tossing it into his mouth without ceremony. “Mmm, the fruits Junior Sister Yiyi grows are sweet! Junior Sister, if you need anything at Yun Dan Peak in the future, just mention my name, Han Li! Although our peak has few people, no one dares to bully us!”

He patted the wine gourd at his waist: “I don’t have any other hobbies. I just enjoy a drink and tinkering with elixirs. If you have any questions about alchemy later, you can also ask me. Although Master says my elixirs are all ‘fierce and potent drugs,’ the effects are absolutely top-notch!”

Liu Yiyi quietly added from the side: “Senior Brother Han Li is one of the best alchemists at Yun Dan Peak, it’s just… sometimes the furnace explodes…”

Han Li’s face flushed slightly, and he glared at Liu Yiyi: “Ahem! That’s called the spiritual qi surging and hard to suppress when the elixir is formed! What do you know, little girl!”

Ye Li watched the two, gaining a preliminary impression of the Yun Dan Peak disciples. Liu Yiyi was timid but simple-minded, and Han Li was unconstrained, skilled in alchemy but seemed a bit… unreliable.

Just then, a cold voice came from outside the courtyard: “Han Li, are you making noise here again, disturbing the new Junior Sister’s quiet cultivation?”

A young man of similar attire, but impeccably neat and with a serious face, walked in. He was slender, his eyes sharp like a hawk’s, and his cultivation was also at the mid-stage of the Meridians Condensing Realm, with a faint, sharp rune energy circulating around him.

“Hey! Chen Mo, you fellow, stop lecturing me! I’m welcoming the new Junior Sister!” Han Li grumbled unhappily.

The young man called Chen Mo completely ignored Han Li. His eyes fell on Ye Li, and he nodded slightly as a greeting, his tone calm and unemotional: “Chen Mo. My main study is the Path of Talismans (FuˊDaˋo). I live in the third courtyard on the west side. Since Junior Sister has joined Yun Dan Peak, you should prioritize cultivation. Do not let trivial matters or… trivial people distract your mind.” He said, meaningfully glancing at Han Li.

Han Li immediately jumped up: “Chen Wooden Block! Who are you calling a trivial person?!”

Chen Mo paid him no further mind and said to Ye Li: “If you have any questions about the Path of Talismans, you can come find me. As for elixirs,” he paused, and said unceremoniously, “it’s best not to seek Han Li, unless you want an early experience of qi deviation.”

After saying this, he turned and left, leaving a sputtering Han Li and a helpless Liu Yiyi.

Ye Li watched the scene, understanding instantly. Chen Mo, as his name suggested (Mo meaning silent), was quiet and reserved, with a serious and rigid personality, focused on the Path of Talismans, and clearly disliked Han Li’s erratic nature.

Han Li cursed a few times, then said to Ye Li: “Junior Sister, don’t listen to that wooden block’s nonsense! My elixirs are great! I’ll refine a batch of Dragon-Tiger Bone Tempering Pills (LoˊngHuˇCuıˋGuˇDaˉn) for you to try another day!”

Ye Li: “…” She suddenly felt that Chen Mo’s warning might be very necessary.

Just then, a gentle voice with a hint of pleasant surprise called out: “Little Sister Ye Li!”

Su Wanyun was standing at the courtyard entrance, holding a small food box, smiling brightly at her. She had changed into the Inner Sect robes of Hundred Flowers Peak, the light pink dress making her look more beautiful than the flowers.

“Senior Sister Su,” Ye Li nodded in greeting. Liu Yiyi and Han Li also quickly bowed to Su Wanyun; they were aware of the reputation of Hundred Flowers Peak’s Head Disciple.

Su Wanyun walked in, placed the food box on the table, and said softly: “I thought Little Sister might not be used to the sect’s meals since you just joined. These are some pastries I made myself, containing a little spiritual qi. They taste decent, so I brought some for you.”

She saw Liu Yiyi and Han Li in the courtyard and smiled, nodding to them as well, her attitude warm and friendly, without any pretense.

Liu Yiyi immediately became nervous yet excited. Han Li’s eyes lit up, and he chuckled: “So it’s Junior Sister Su! I’ve long heard that Junior Sister Su of Hundred Flowers Peak is both beautiful and kind-hearted, and her spiritual food craftsmanship is superb. Will we finally have a taste today?”

Su Wanyun covered her mouth and smiled lightly: “Senior Brother Han flatters me. If you don’t mind, please try some together.”

With Su Wanyun present, the atmosphere instantly became more harmonious. Han Li was outgoing and spoke eloquently; Liu Yiyi, though still a little reserved, occasionally interjected softly; Su Wanyun was gentle and thoughtful, attending to everyone’s mood; even Ye Li’s cold expression seemed to soften a fraction.

She looked at the people before her, a slight warmth in her heart. It was a blessing to meet one or two worthwhile acquaintances in this unfamiliar sect.

However, not everyone would offer goodwill.

Just as they were chatting, a cold sneer was heard from the small path outside the courtyard:

“Hmph, quite lively, aren’t we? The top performer of the assessment sure has a big air about her, so many people rushing to curry favor right after joining?”

A female disciple with an attractive appearance but a slightly harsh look in her eyes walked over. Behind her were two equally arrogant-looking female disciples. This woman’s cultivation was not weak, also at the initial stage of the Meridians Condensing Realm, and her gaze towards Ye Li was full of undisguised jealousy and disdain.

“Senior Sister Li Yan.” Liu Yiyi’s face went pale, and she instinctively shrank back. Han Li frowned but said nothing. The smile on Su Wanyun’s face also faded somewhat.

Li Yan’s eyes swept over the Vermillion Visage Fruits and the food box on the stone table, and she scoffed: “Liu Yiyi, you try to flatter the new Junior Sister with such subpar fruits? And Senior Sister Su, aren’t you afraid that by lowering yourself like this, some people will become spoiled by favor and try to climb above you in the future?”

Her words were sharp and sarcastic, both belittling Liu Yiyi and provoking discord between Su Wanyun and Ye Li, and directly accusing Ye Li of being “spoiled by favor and arrogant.”

Ye Li’s eyes instantly turned cold.

She slowly looked up at Li Yan, her voice flat yet carrying a chill: “Who I socialize with, it seems, does not require me to report to you. As for being spoiled by favor and arrogant…”

She paused, her gaze sweeping over Li Yan like an ice blade: “If you were unconvinced, why was your figure absent during the arena battles? Were you hovering at the bottom of the rankings, or did you not even make it into the top hundred?”

Li Yan’s face instantly turned bright red! Her talent was decent, but she was impatient and performed poorly in the Illusionary Killing Array. Her final ranking was indeed outside the ninetieth position, which was her greatest pain point! Being exposed in public by Ye Li like this immediately made her tremble with rage!

“You… you’re presumptuous!” Li Yan pointed at Ye Li, shrieking, “Don’t think just because you got first place once it means anything! It was just luck! This Yun Dan Peak is not the place for you to be arrogant!”

“Whether it was luck will be known in the future,” Ye Li’s tone remained calm. “At least, I don’t need to demean others to elevate myself. If there is nothing else, please leave. Our small gathering does not welcome noisy people.”

“You… Good! Very good! Ye Li, I’ll remember you! Let’s just wait and see!” Li Yan was so choked she couldn’t speak, her face livid. She fiercely stomped her foot and left dejectedly with her two followers.

The courtyard fell silent for a moment.

Liu Yiyi looked at Ye Li, her eyes full of admiration. Han Li grinned and gave a thumbs up: “Serves her right! I’ve been tired of that woman for ages!” Su Wanyun gently held Ye Li’s hand, a hint of worry in her eyes: “Senior Sister Li… has some influence within the peak. Little Sister, you need to be careful.”

Ye Li squeezed her hand in return, indicating it was fine.

Jealousy and malicious intent, she was already used to them. When the soldiers come, she would block them; when the water rises, she would cover it with earth.

After this commotion, everyone chatted for a while longer before dispersing.

Ye Li saw Su Wanyun off and returned to the courtyard.

She had gained a preliminary understanding of the interpersonal dynamics of Yun Dan Peak. There were the friendly ones like Liu Yiyi and Han Li (despite being unreliable), the focused one like Chen Mo, the caring one like Su Wanyun, and naturally, small-minded, jealous people like Li Yan.

The path of cultivation was never a solitary journey.

She looked towards the distant, continuous mountain peaks, her gaze serene.

These were all minor matters.

The true goal always lay ahead.