The Third Child of Destiny

Luochen arrived at Yuxi Peak, the main peak of the Feibai Sect, riding her sword.

On her way to the deliberation hall, she noticed a somewhat familiar figure.

A cascade of long hair, a pristine white robe, and a solitary sword.

This iconic ensemble immediately allowed Luochen to deduce the identity of the person standing before her.

It was Shuanghua, the Peak Master of Lìjiàn Peak of the Feibai Sect.

Her demeanor was as frigid as frost, and her words were as sparse and precious as gold. She was renowned as the Feibai Sect’s ‘Cold-Faced Sword Immortal.’

Rumor had it that in her earlier years, her decisive and ruthless actions had offended countless individuals, leading her to seek refuge within the Feibai Sect, effectively ‘huddling together’ for protection.

Luochen largely agreed with the contents of these rumors.

In the several years she had been with the Feibai Sect, her interactions with Shuanghua had never amounted to more than ten sentences, each utterance consisting of no more than three words.

Luochen had even, at one point, suspected Shuanghua possessed some kind of ‘mute system’ that would deduct her cultivation base if she spoke too much.

Moreover, there was a past incident where a throng of people had gathered at the Feibai Sect, clamoring for Shuanghua to be handed over, and it was only through Sect Master Yuxi’s intervention that the situation had been resolved.

Regardless, since their paths had crossed, a greeting was in order.

“Martial Aunt Shuanghua.”

Shuanghua, gazing at the young girl before her, drew a long, deliberate breath.

‘Good, this time I absolutely must speak!’

‘I’ll just say…’

‘It’s Martial Niece Luochen, hello. Is your esteemed father still well?’

‘No, wait, I just saw Zhu Qing yesterday; why would I ask that?’

‘Then should I say, ‘Virtuous Niece Luochen is becoming more beautiful lately’?’

‘Oh, but wouldn’t that sound a bit too frivolous?’

‘How about, ‘Good morning, Virtuous Niece Luochen’?’

‘Yes, that’s it. Believe in yourself, Shuanghua, you can definitely do this.’

She continuously cheered herself on.

“Luo—”

Just as the word left her lips, her gaze met Luochen’s, and she instantly found herself at a loss for what to say.

“Luo…”

The second character seemed to weigh a thousand pounds, proving impossible to utter.

And so, she executed a ‘light-speed surrender’ (TL Note: A Chinese internet slang term, ‘guangsu huagui,’ meaning to give up or back down incredibly quickly), resorting to the most frequently used word in her entire speaking career.

“Mm.”

‘This version of the ‘hero’ is just too formidable!’

‘Another failure.’

With a mix of grief and indignation, Shuanghua turned and fled from this sorrowful spot.

Observing the Peak Master who had merely offered a casual reply before turning and departing as if disgusted with herself, Luochen could only conclude that she had grown accustomed to such behavior.

At least this time, the other person had responded with a single word.

Recalling the countless previous encounters where she had only received an indifferent glance, Luochen, finding amusement in her own plight, felt that this interaction, at least, showed some progress.

With matters as they stood, it was time for the meeting.

****

The moment she stepped into the deliberation hall, Luochen felt several powerful gazes fixate upon her.

Sect Master Venerable Yuxi was the first to speak. “Is Virtuous Niece Luochen once again attending the meeting in Zhu Qing’s stead today?”

Luochen cupped her hands and bowed. “My Master is swamped with affairs and unable to spare the time. This humble niece has boldly come to observe.”

“Enough, enough, enough,” True Immortal Yun Qing interjected, waving their hand dismissively.

“Do we not know your Master well enough? It’s quite good that you’ve come. At the very least, you manage your peak far better than your Master does.”

‘And perhaps her strength isn’t much inferior either?’ Yun Qing seemed to recall something, a slight shiver running down their spine.

Luochen offered an awkward smile and took her seat in Zhu Qing’s usual spot.

Yuxi slowly began, “The first item on the agenda: in five months, the sect will convene a Joint Discussion Conference on Disciples’ Cultivation Techniques and Abilities. Each Peak Master may now submit their candidate lists to me.”

‘Shouldn’t it normally be called a martial arts competition or something similar?’ Luochen mused inwardly, a hint of exasperation in her thoughts. ‘This Sect Master’s naming convention truly has… a rather ‘earthly’ flavor to it.’

****

Clouds drifted lazily across the sky, unfurling and rolling, while the scorching sun baked the earth below. Utterly exhausted, Luochen was currently making her way toward Yuxi Peak’s cafeteria.

‘This damned Sect Master, looking so young, yet rambling on more tediously than any school principal from my previous life,’ she thought with a sigh. ‘No wonder Master detests attending these meetings.’

It was said that before Luochen’s arrival at Zhu Qing Peak, her Master would either sleep or simply stare blankly during meetings, eventually resorting to outright skipping them.

Yet, because she was the only cultivator, apart from the Sect Master, to reach the Eighth-Rank within the sect, and would indeed treat serious matters with utmost gravity when they arose, everyone had consistently turned a blind eye to her antics.

Amidst her churning thoughts, Luochen had already arrived at Yuxi Peak’s cafeteria.

Although cultivators generally no longer required food once they reached the Fifth-Rank, many still regarded eating as a form of relaxation and entertainment.

Furthermore, the food provided by the sect contained a trace of spiritual energy, which could slightly enhance one’s cultivation. Consequently, the cafeteria remained as packed as any eatery from her previous life.

Many disciples noticed Luochen and bowed in quick succession.

“Greetings, Senior Sister.”

“Senior Sister.”

“Good afternoon, Senior Sister Luo.”

Luochen offered a gentle smile, as elegant and refined as a chrysanthemum. “Good afternoon, everyone.”

“Senior Sister is so gentle, and her cultivation is so high. I heard she reached the Fifth-Rank at just seventeen years old.”

“That feat truly shook the entire Tianyun at the time.”

“Indeed. Moreover, since Peak Master Zhu Qing is always so elusive, Senior Sister Luo manages the entirety of Zhu Qing Peak. She probably attended today’s sect meeting on behalf of Zhu Qing Peak as well.”

“At only nineteen, she can already sit among a group of Seventh and Eighth-Rank ‘big shots.’ It’s precisely for this reason that she’s known as the Feibai Sect’s Senior Sister.”

“It’s a pity that Senior Sister has always been in poor health. They say she carries a cold poison that even Venerable Zhu Qing can only alleviate, but not eradicate.”

“Such an excellent Senior Sister—may Heaven not be so jealous of her talent.”

With her Fifth-Rank cultivation, Luochen naturally heard every single word of the disciples’ whispered conversations.

‘I only hope I can last until the end of the world,’ she murmured to herself.

****

After all the meetings concluded, dusk had already settled.

The crimson sun on the horizon was slowly sinking into darkness, its lingering light painting several streaks of colorful clouds across the sky.

‘Junior Sister should be at Danzhu Peak today, pursuing her supplementary study of alchemy. She’s probably finishing class soon. I should head back and make dinner.’

With this thought, Luochen hastened the activation of her flying sword.

“A Fifth-Grade Rejuvenation Pill?” At the dining table, Zhu Qing stared, dumbfounded, at the brown pill in Su Yue’s hand.

Su Yue nodded. “I just succeeded in making it today.”

Zhu Qing’s face twitched again. “You’ve only just completed a year of supplementary alchemy study, yet you can already refine such a pill. Wouldn’t Yun Qing ‘lose their composure’ if they found out?”

As if imagining her arch-rival’s livid face, Zhu Qing burst into hearty laughter.

“Senior Sister, this is for you.” Su Yue extended the pill in her hand.

“Eh? But Junior Sister, aren’t you also at the Fifth-Rank? In fact, having just reached it, you should need this Rejuvenation Pill more than I do, shouldn’t you?”

Luochen didn’t take the pill, instead posing a rhetorical question.

“I have more. This one is for you.” With that, Su Yue gently but firmly pressed the pill into Luochen’s hand, leaving her no opportunity to refuse.

“Then I thank you, Junior Sister.” Luochen smiled and accepted the pill.

A fleeting smile flickered across Su Yue’s face, only to be instantly replaced by her usual indifferent expression, making Luochen wonder if she had imagined it.

‘Junior Sister is truly peculiar,’ Luochen mused.

Having never experienced romance in her previous life, Luochen naturally couldn’t fathom the girl’s thoughts.

After dinner, Luochen, urged by Zhu Qing, headed down the mountain to purchase clothing.

‘When will I find the third Child of Destiny?’

Lost in thought, Luochen had already arrived in Jinyang City.

Jinyang City was brightly lit, with vendors’ calls rising and falling, and laughter echoing incessantly.

‘It’s so lively. I should bring Master and Junior Sister to see this someday.’

‘They both prefer staying at home.’

There was no need to mention the sleepy Zhu Qing; even Su Yue would retreat to her room right after dinner. The vast Zhu Qing Peak would become utterly deserted by nightfall.

Navigating through the bustling crowd, Luochen first went to the Treasure Pavilion to buy clothes, then picked up some peach blossom pastries for her Master, which she loved.

‘What should I buy for Junior Sister?’ Just as she was pondering this, Luochen suddenly felt a tremor deep within her soul.

She knew this sensation all too well; it signified that a new Child of Destiny was nearby.

It was truly a case of ‘a pillow appearing just as one feels sleepy,’ she thought, a mix of exasperation and amusement washing over her.

‘Wait, isn’t this feeling too intense?’

Luochen found it somewhat strange.

It was easily twice as strong as when she had encountered Zhu Qing and Su Yue.

Following the guidance of this tremor, Luochen slipped into a secluded alley. There, leaning against a wall, was a slender figure clad in black, almost merging with the night.

A faint scent of blood wafted into Luochen’s nostrils. She frowned and quickly moved forward.

Chen Ruan felt a pang of injustice. Those outwardly righteous individuals, none of whom were her match when she seized the treasure, had nevertheless used the excuse of her being a demonic cultivator to besiege her.

She leaned against the wall in the deserted alley, allowing the boundless darkness to swallow her.

Weariness washed over her. Having fled for three days, her body and mind had reached their absolute limit.

‘I mustn’t sleep.’

Despite Chen Ruan’s desperate self-admonition, she could no longer hold on.

In the final second before losing consciousness, she seemed to glimpse a figure approaching her from afar.

“Are you alright?”