Her Birthday

After waking up, the very first thing Cao Xueyan did was to swear never to drink again.

Last night she drank until blackout in just one gulp, which could already be nailed to the pillar of shame.

Now her head was splitting, and when she looked around, it was indeed not her own room, but Xiao Menglan’s.

Only the owner of the room was nowhere to be seen, not knowing where she had gone.

Of course, as the Peak Master, she had countless affairs to manage.

She wasn’t named “Countless Affairs,” so how could Xiao Menglan stay by her side day and night without leaving her for even a moment?

Today’s schedule was the same as always: first learn talisman drawing, then when it got later, go to the dojo to cultivate spells.

At night, she would as usual add points to the panel, counting it as proof of her effort.

Cao Xueyan got off the bed, dressed herself, and had a maid bring in a basin of water for washing up, along with some breakfast.

While changing clothes, she noticed that the purplish-black marks on her hands had faded until they were almost invisible.

It seemed the ointment Xiao Menglan applied to her, along with the bath she soaked in last night, had worked wonders.

Cao Xueyan’s cheeks flushed slightly as she recalled what had happened in that bath last night.

Those blush-inducing, heart-racing scenes made waves of heat ripple through her body again.

“I must not think about this anymore!” Cao Xueyan slapped her own cheeks.

If she indulged in love and romance like this, how could she ascend the Great Dao and seek immortality?

She must not forget — Xiao Menglan was nothing more than a tool for her, someone she could exploit.

Yes, there was no need to develop feelings for a tool.

As the saying goes: a teacher is one who passes on the Dao, teaches knowledge, and dispels confusion.

There must not and cannot be any other purpose beyond that.

She was not her companion in loneliness, nor her comfort in passion.

She dared not defy Xiao Menglan and submitted to her whims only because this woman’s cultivation was higher than her own.

One day, if Cao Xueyan also cultivated to the Golden Core stage, her status could at least match Xiao Menglan’s.

By then, that wicked woman would no longer dare to treat her as a substitute for that woman named Ruyu!

At that time, she could become Xiao Menglan’s true…

Uh! What was I just thinking?!

Cao Xueyan covered her face, her talisman brush slipping from her hand and spilling a large blot of ink on the paper below.

Even the talisman she had been halfway through drawing was ruined, which was truly a pity.

No, this wouldn’t do.

Cao Xueyan suddenly realized something terrifying — in just a few short days, her body had already been completely dyed with Xiao Menglan’s colors.

Every inch of skin, every strand of hair, from her toes to her head, inside and out — everywhere on her body was mixed with Xiao Menglan’s scent, inseparable from it.

This woman, Xiao Menglan, had unreasonably and forcefully claimed many of her “firsts.”

How could she possibly let go of such an existence?

Cao Xueyan forced herself to calm down and focus on the task at hand.

Strangely enough, with such turmoil in her heart, her talisman brush moved surprisingly quickly.

The talismans she drew turned out even better than usual.

Ah no — much better.

She drew several talismans in a row, all of them top quality.

Cao Xueyan kept drawing until her wrist cramped and her fingers ached, only then reluctantly putting down her brush.

She admired her latest works — more than a dozen talismans, neatly lined up, vigorous and powerful in their strokes, lifelike like paintings.

Looking up at the simulator panel, she was stunned speechless for a moment.

Without adding any points, her talisman cultivation progress had leapt forward by 100 points.

There was proof she hadn’t cheated with cultivation points.

This was something she achieved through her own enlightenment!

No wonder, Cao Xueyan thought while stroking her chin, in the simulator she had successfully refined second-rank talismans within just a few years despite only being in the Qi Refining stage.

It seemed that even without the simulator, she still had some talent in talismans.

Xiao Menglan once said that the human-path talismans she was practicing were essentially about human life and death, the seven emotions and six desires.

Perhaps her inner struggles earlier had allowed her to experience the hundred facets of life, thus greatly advancing her in talisman Dao as well.

Was this a good thing?

Perhaps.

But didn’t it also mean that deep in her heart, she really had developed feelings for Xiao Menglan…

Time moved to the afternoon, and Cao Xueyan finished her talisman practice and headed to the dojo.

The Ice Soul Silver Needle spell was powerful, its strikes hidden, and its casting time short.

Its only drawback was… it was very difficult to master.

That was fine — diligence could make up for clumsiness.

When she arrived at the dojo, someone was already waiting for her.

Cao Xueyan approached the person and, as always, softly greeted: “Master.”

Who else could it be but Xiao Menglan?

Back to this morning — Xiao Menglan had originally wanted to follow a script she’d once read in a storybook, giving her beloved disciple a good-morning kiss.

But just then, her senior sister, the sect leader, who had been drunk for several days, finally sobered up and sent her a message to come over.

Xiao Menglan dared not delay, so she straightened her clothes and quickly went to Sword Peak.

Once Qin Ximo sobered up, the first thing she mentioned to Xiao Menglan was her plan to leave the sect.

Xiao Menglan was not surprised.

Her sect leader senior sister had always been decisive and resolute.

She would never abandon something she had declared in front of others.

“Since you’re going to leave anyway, why not stay a little longer?” Xiao Menglan said at the time.

“It doesn’t matter, but tell me, do you have anything important to entrust to me?” Qin Ximo asked curiously.

“Nothing particularly important.” At this, Xiao Menglan’s face showed a strange smile, which gave Qin Ximo a shiver, as though the scene was oddly familiar.

Then Xiao Menglan said: “Haven’t I recently accepted a new disciple?”

Qin Ximo suddenly understood, smiling: “Ah yes, that’s true.

Even though I’ve been drunk these days, I still remembered something so important to your legacy.

But I recall asking you that day, and you said you wanted to test her further before deciding?”

“That’s true, but since you’re leaving, and we may not meet again for years, I thought — why not take her as a disciple now and hold a ceremony?

That way, you can attend before you leave and it won’t delay your search for opportunities.”

Qin Ximo thought for a moment and nodded: “That makes sense.

We are sisters of the same sect, almost like family.

If I couldn’t attend such an important ceremony, it would seem too distant of me.”

“How could that be?” Xiao Menglan hurriedly said.

“You carry the great duty of being sect leader, and the outside world is turbulent with hidden currents.

Compared to that, my little matter of taking a disciple is hardly worth mentioning.”

“No need to say more.

Just tell me when the ceremony will be, and how many days it will last.

I will be there.”

Qin Ximo smiled playfully and even winked, something only Xiao Menglan could ever see:

“Besides, if I don’t come, how would I give my gift to my future little junior niece?”

Xiao Menglan was relieved and overjoyed.

“In that case, I must thank Senior Sister Sect Leader in advance.”

“It’s nothing but lifting a hand.

If you act so polite, it makes me seem cold-hearted — we’ve been sisters for hundreds of years.

Do you think I’m that kind of person?” Qin Ximo pretended to be angry.

“Of course not!” Xiao Menglan replied.

“Senior Sister is the best sect leader in the world!”

…

“That’s how it is.

In just over a month, it will be your birthday, so I specifically chose that day for the ceremony.”

Xiao Menglan explained everything, and finally added:

“When you meet the Sect Leader, don’t be disrespectful.

Though she may count as your martial aunt, she is still the sect leader.

Besides, there will be thousands of eyes watching at the ceremony, so be mindful not to give others a reason for gossip.”

Cao Xueyan was stunned, taking a long while to process it.

“How did Master know my birthday?” she asked.

“Just asked around at the outer sect,” Xiao Menglan said lightly, for it was indeed no trouble for her.

“Coincidentally, in a few months the Sect Leader will be entering closed-door cultivation.

So you caught the perfect timing.”

Cao Xueyan nodded, though she felt odd inside.

She hadn’t celebrated her birthday in ten years.

For cultivators, birthdays were really unimportant.

During closed-door cultivation, one could easily miss it, and gradually no one cared about such things.

But Xiao Menglan had deliberately gone to the outer sect just for this…