Unexpected Discovery

As the two former brothers reunited, the negative emotions Yan Yun had accumulated during her escape were finally released.

They certainly had much to discuss, for one had been reborn as a woman, while the other had transformed into a woman through cultivation, both carrying their own unique frustrations and stifled feelings.

Yet, none of this truly mattered; at most, they had merely gone from brothers to sisters. Their identities had shifted, but their bond remained, requiring only a period of readjustment.

The carriage soon arrived at Ningyang City, and upon leaving it, Xie Yuyan changed into a fiery red, practical women’s outfit, purchased a spear, and tied her hair into a high ponytail.

Naturally, these purchases were made with Yan Yun’s money, as Xie Yuyan’s belongings had been confiscated by her father, and she had fled in such haste that she brought nothing with her.

“Ha! Your sense of style has truly undergone a significant change. It seems that being a woman for over a decade has indeed left its mark,” Yan Yun jabbed playfully, observing Xie Yuyan’s new attire.

Xie Yuyan immediately shot her a withering glare.

“What nonsense! What did you expect? I was born a woman; I merely possess memories from my past life. Having lived the life of a young lady since childhood, I’m bound to have developed certain feminine habits,” Xie Yuyan explained.

Yan Yun could not yet fully grasp this, for she had only been a woman for a little over a year, and not even consistently in female attire, nor had she truly lived as a woman. Consequently, beyond her outward appearance, her mindset remained largely unchanged.

The only true shifts were the loss of certain things and the gain of others, leaving her with an overall sense of awkwardness.

“Honestly, you seem far more normal now. Had you not exposed your true nature at the outset, I might not have even noticed,” Yan Yun said with a chuckle.

Xie Yuyan sighed deeply.

“Alas! When I first saw you, I perceived you as a beautiful stranger, a younger sister, and instinctively wanted to strike up a conversation. Naturally, my true nature unconsciously surfaced. However, upon realizing you were my brother from a past life, my interest in you instantly evaporated. When I’m not trying to flirt, I’m actually quite normal,” Xie Yuyan chuckled.

“Ugh… that’s disgusting. Can’t you speak to me in a normal tone? Stop being so paternalistic and condescending (TL Note: A Chinese slang term, ‘dieliqili,’ used to describe someone who acts superior or like a ‘daddy’, often in an annoying or overly-familiar way, particularly when inappropriate),” Yan Yun complained.

“You’re the disgusting one! This young lady is a bona fide woman. You, a newcomer to this path, wouldn’t understand a thing. But don’t worry, this big brother of yours—oh, no, this big sister of yours—will definitely groom you properly. From now on, you’ll learn how to be a woman from me,” Xie Yuyan declared with a serious expression.

“Ugh…! No, I’m going to throw up. Don’t speak to me; I can’t take it.”

“Hahahaha…”

Intermittent sounds of Yan Yun and Xie Yuyan’s conversation, along with their hearty laughter, filled the carriage, leaving the coachman to suffer silently.

****

One week later, a series of majestic and resonant announcements suddenly echoed across Jiang Country.

“The Yunhua Sect opens its gates wide today, broadly recruiting a new generation of inner disciples. Males and females under the age of eighteen are welcome to participate in the entrance examination at Yunhua Sect.”

As this announcement resounded, the entire Jiang Country erupted with excitement. Whether poor or from noble families, people immediately rushed to the locations of their preferred sects.

As the largest sect in Jiang Country, Yunhua Sect was naturally the first choice for the majority.

However, many also possessed self-awareness, knowing that Yunhua Sect’s requirements for accepting disciples were the most stringent.

Yunxia Mountain (TL Note: A mountain range) was only a few dozen miles from Qifeng City.

The main road leading to Yunhua Sect was teeming with people, some accompanied by their parents, others traveling in groups.

The carriage carrying Yan Yun and Xie Yuyan was also moving slowly along the road. There was no alternative; this was the only path to Yunhua Sect, and it was completely congested with carriages and people.

“Wow! So many people. Third Sister, do you think we’ll be chosen?” Xie Yuyan asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

Yan Yun, however, was not concerned at all.

“My mother and my wife are both disciples of the Yunhua Sect Leader. Even if I don’t qualify, I can always pull some strings,” Yan Yun replied.

“Ah? What about me? No, I need to pull some strings too! Third Sister, my future happiness depends on you! I’ve already decided: after joining Yunhua Sect, I absolutely must find my life partner,” Xie Yuyan pleaded, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked at Yan Yun.

Observing her expression, Yan Yun’s mouth twitched uncontrollably.

This fellow had been a lively character in their past life, and now, having turned into a woman, they were even more uninhibited.

“I’m a wanted fugitive; I need to keep a low profile. Besides, your aptitude isn’t bad at all; a mid-grade fire spirit root is far stronger than mine.”

Indeed, in terms of cultivation aptitude, Xie Yuyan was significantly better than Yan Yun.

Of course, that was referring to the past.

As they progressed, the carriage suddenly stopped again, and a clamor erupted from ahead.

“Hmm? What’s going on?” Yan Yun quickly lifted the curtain and peered outside.

What she saw was a heated argument, or perhaps an accident. Two ornate carriages had collided, and the guards from both sides were in a standoff, swords drawn and bows strung, completely obstructing the road so that even pedestrians couldn’t pass.

“Lin family, clear the way for this young master!” a young man in pale gold robes flung open his carriage curtain and bellowed with an aggressive air.

Immediately, the head of another young man emerged from the other carriage.

“Oh, I wonder who it is. If it isn’t Third Young Master Dai Chunfeng! But why should I clear the way? Is this road yours?”

Dai Chunfeng instantly erupted in fury. He leapt down from his carriage and stomped aggressively towards the Lin family’s carriage.

“Hey, Third Brother, just let it go,” a delicate young woman quickly called out from within the Dai family’s carriage.

A young man also jumped down from the Lin family’s carriage, meeting the man surnamed Dai without a trace of fear.

“Lin Yu, are you looking for trouble?” the man surnamed Dai growled, grabbing the Lin family young man by the collar and angrily demanding.

Lin Yu, not to be outdone, retaliated by grabbing the man surnamed Dai by his collar.

“Dai Chunfeng, do you think I’m afraid of you? This isn’t the Royal Capital, and even there, our Lin family isn’t afraid of your Dai family. Who knows, in a few years, the Queen’s position might just belong to my aunt!” Lin Yu said with a sneer.

“You? I, I’ll damn you to hell!” The young man named Dai Chunfeng raised his hand and landed a heavy punch squarely on Lin Yu’s right eye.

“Ow! You, you dared to hit me?” Lin Yu threw a punch back, but unfortunately, Dai Chunfeng dodged it.

“That’s right, I hit you!” Dai Chunfeng cursed.

In a fit of rage, Lin Yu immediately ordered his Lin family guards to attack.

The people from both families instantly devolved into a brawl, though it was curious that no weapons or powerful techniques were used; they merely exchanged blows with their fists and feet.

“What is going on here?” Yan Yun watched, utterly bewildered.

Xie Yuyan chuckled.

“You don’t know this? The Lin family and the Dai family—one is the maternal family of Consort Lin, the secondary consort, and the other is the maternal family of the Queen. The Queen has been in seclusion for over a decade, attempting to break through to the Divine Soul Realm. If she ultimately fails to break through, she will likely perish entirely. In that case, Consort Lin, as the secondary consort, would most likely be elevated to the main consort. Since both families are super influential families in Jiang Country, they are naturally competing fiercely,” Xie Yuyan explained.

The Yan family was not an official family, so they didn’t know much about these matters, but the Xie family was a second-rank military general family in Jiang Country and certainly had such knowledge.

“Oh, I understand now. No wonder. But the problem is, if the Queen breaks through her realm and emerges from seclusion, wouldn’t the Lin family’s actions invite retaliation from her?” Yan Yun questioned.

Xie Yuyan shook her head.

“It’s doubtful. Her Majesty the Queen is already over four hundred and fifty years old and is at the Great Perfection Divine Mark Realm. Breaking through to the Divine Soul Realm is inherently extremely difficult. If, during her seclusion, she accidentally entered the Consummate Divine Mark Realm, then there’s essentially no hope of breaking through.”

Yan Yun nodded, yet this unexpected discovery sparked an idea for how to deal with the Lin family.