Eve

“Master, do I look good?”

Tao Lingling stood coquettishly in front of Gong Ning, her hands behind her back.

For an important occasion like the new disciple competition, she was wearing the direct disciple’s uniform for the first time.
The hem of the skirt had been cut open and sewn with some flowing colorful ribbons.

Two small pink balls were also tied on her head, swaying gently with her movements.

“Today is the new disciple competition, not a beauty pageant.
Dressed like this, can you even swing your sword?”

Tao Lingling, however, threw her arms around her arm and acted spoiled, “Aiya, just tell me if your disciple looks good or not.”

Gong Ning couldn’t help but chuckle.
Her gaze slowly moved from the top of her disciple’s head to the tips of her toes.

“You look good.
Who made this outfit for you?
It suits you so well.”

Seeing that her Master had noticed her little trick, Tao Lingling’s eyes instantly lit up.
She happily stood on her toes and spun around, the red ribbons flying with her, like a blooming flower.

“Of course, your disciple altered it herself.”

“You know how to do this?”

“Of course I do.
If it weren’t for the lack of time, your disciple would have definitely made a beautiful set of clothes for Master.”

Today was the new disciple competition, yet Gong Ning felt a little nervous.
She had never thought that such a small thing could change her destiny.

But her disciple’s relaxed appearance also eased her worried heart.

Profound Heaven Peak, as the main peak of the Profound Heaven Sword Sect, was always bustling with people.
It encompassed various places such as markets, entertainment venues, and more.

During holidays or when there were activities, it was even more crowded.

After parking the flying magical treasure at the Cloud-Resting Ferry, they looked into the distance.
The area around the arena was almost packed with people.

“Lingling, you go to the contestants’ seating area and pick a good spot later.
I need to go to the elders’ seating area.”

Tao Lingling nodded, but then suddenly grabbed Gong Ning’s hand.
In front of everyone, it made Gong Ning a little nervous.

“Master, I will definitely win.”

‘Me fighting Lu Yunling? Can I really win?’

One couldn’t make assumptions about such things.
Her Master’s innocence was an absolute bottom line.
No matter what means she had to use, she could not lose.

It would be best if Lu Yunling wasn’t reborn.
Then she would only have to guard against the despicable means of the Sword-Riding Cottage.
But if she was reborn…

Then she had to win even more.

Regardless of their relationship, how many times they had stabbed each other, or how many times they had slashed each other, there was one thing she absolutely could not do, and that was to betray.

Gong Ning nodded.
She subconsciously wanted to ruffle her disciple’s head, but in the end, she only fiddled with her hair ornament.

“Good luck.”

Others didn’t understand the meaning of these two words, but Tao Lingling did.

This year’s contestants’ seating area was the sparsest it had been in years.
Each disciple sat with their group, except for the Heart-Sword Hall, where only Tao Lingling sat alone.

Because she didn’t care about anything and rarely went out, she was unaware of the influence of the book “The Crippled Immortal” and didn’t realize that she was as eye-catching as her Master at this moment.

If one were to ask what those who had read “The Crippled Immortal” cared about the most, it was undoubtedly the prototype of the Master in the book, Gong Ning.
Then the second most cared about was her direct disciple.

As Tao Lingling walked into the contestants’ seating area, she felt countless gazes fixed on her.

“What are you looking at?
Look again and I’ll gouge your eyes out.”

That person had no choice but to retract their gaze.

Her personality was somewhat at odds with the image of the disciple in the book.
However, Xi Yao’s writing was very strong.
Although several volumes had been written, the disciple’s personality and gender had not been emphasized.

Tao Lingling’s gaze scanned the contestants’ seating area and finally found her target, Lu Yunling.

She walked towards Lu Yunling, stood directly in front of her, and looked down at her face.

“Where are you from?”

Lu Yunling met her gaze.
Even though this she-devil was younger, the murderous aura on her body still couldn’t be hidden, occasionally revealing a fierce glint.

“Thousand Islet.”

“Do you know the Dust-Sweeping Sword Immortal?”

Lu Yunling lowered her eyebrows and no longer met her gaze.

“Are you asking about the one who slew the Calamity-Bringing She-Devil?”

The two characters for “Dust-Sweeping” was an honorific title given to her by the Spiritual Pivot Administration after she had reached the Nascent Soul stage.
Tao Lingling’s “Calamity-Bringing She-Devil” was also a derogatory title given by the Spiritual Pivot Administration.

Since she knew, that could only mean one thing: Lu Yunling was the same as her.

Tao Lingling grabbed Lu Yunling by the collar.

“Do you know what you are doing?”

“I know very well.
Take your hand off me.”

Lu Yunling slapped her hand away fiercely.
After being in contact with this person for so long, she was afraid of being infected with her murderous aura.

“You disciples over there, don’t fight here.
Settle any conflicts in the arena!”

The elder maintaining order had already spoken, so Tao Lingling did not pester her further.

‘In that case, I’ll see you in the arena.’

****

At the Sword Immortal’s suggestion, Gong Ning had put on a veil.

Although Gong Ning didn’t want to be seen, wearing a veil had the meaning of burying one’s head in the sand.

“Jingzhi, over here!”

From a distance, she saw Bai Peilan waving at her.
Next to her was another elder, the one who had called her “Sister Bai” in the council hall before, named Zhou Yu’an.

The two of them, hand in hand like sisters, didn’t look like elders, but more like ordinary best friends out on an excursion.

As the Hall Master, Jiang Yuyao naturally sat at the same table as the Sect Master.
Since she was idle now, she might as well get closer to her colleagues.

“Why are you two here?
Not at the elders’ seating area?”

“What’s the point of going?
The arena won’t open for at least half an hour.
Am I supposed to sit there and listen to others mock my Heart-Sword Hall?
I’d rather wander around and buy something interesting.”

Gong Ning nodded.
She thought so too.
Sitting there for half an hour, she was afraid she would have to listen to people gossiping all the time.

However, as soon as she got close, she was naturally linked arms with Bai Peilan.

Gong Ning was taken aback and felt constrained, subconsciously wanting to pull away.

However, Bai Peilan was completely unconcerned and just stared curiously at her veil.

“Jingzhi, don’t you understand?
A light veil covering the face is like leaving blank space in an ink wash painting, leaving much to the imagination.”

This really made Gong Ning feel shy.

‘No, no, the focus is not on this.’

“Elder Bai, don’t forget my previous identity.
This is… not very appropriate…”

“You care about this?
I thought you would be secretly happy.”

“This… a person with a conscience and morals wouldn’t pretend that nothing is wrong, would they?”

If Gong Ning were a hundred years younger, back when she was full of vigor, she would have been secretly happy.
But now, they were all old things.
Who didn’t know the little schemes in the other’s heart?
It was better to just expose it and save the ambiguity.

“You’re just not used to your female identity, you don’t have a sense of identity.
If this goes on, when you go to the bathhouse in the future, which one will you go to?”

This question, Gong Ning really hadn’t thought about it.

“Since you’re here, just accept it.
I see you as a woman, and Yu’an also sees you as a woman, so you are a woman.
Isn’t that right, Yu’an?”

Zhou Yu’an nodded, “Sister Bai is right.
Master is a woman.”

Gong Ning was a little confused.
Why would Zhou Yu’an call her Master?
Wasn’t she also an elder?

There were many types of readers in the world.
Some would read a book from a bystander’s perspective, like Bai Peilan.
Some would put themselves into the characters of the book, like Zhou Yu’an.

That’s right.
As a close friend, under Bai Peilan’s influence, she had also read “The Crippled Immortal” and had substituted herself into the role of the disciple in the book.