How Can a Lone Pillow Bear the Dreams of a Border City, Part 2

In those fleeting moments, countless thoughts erupted in Yun Yao’s mind.
They included, but were not limited to: grabbing Wu Tianya by the collar and dragging him outside for a thorough beating; demanding why he vanished for three hundred years, letting her believe he’d been obliterated; or crying while clutching his robes, asking how he could bear to abandon his junior sister, his disciple, and the entire sect…

Those thoughts surged like a tidal wave, then receded just as swiftly, leaving no trace.

Like the emotions that roared and then subsided in Yun Yao’s chest.
She took a slow breath, lowering her eyelids.

The Jiushi Valley elders, clearly having coordinated with Wu Tianya beforehand, awkwardly played along. “Ah, since you’re fellow disciples, you must have met in Qianmen, right? We owe much to Fellow Daoist Wu. On the way back, our treasure-escorting team was betrayed and ambushed, but thankfully, he stepped in to help…”

The elder, catching subtle glances from his peers, wracked his brain to keep up the act.

But before he could finish his rehearsed lines, a calm voice cut in: “Jiushi Valley’s elders wouldn’t even trust Lord Hanyuan, yet they so easily trust an ordinary disciple who just happened to lend a hand?”

“—”

The elders’ expressions froze in unison.
The less skilled actors’ eyes instinctively darted toward Wu Tianya, though they quickly caught themselves, halting mid-glance.

The hall fell into an eerie silence.

Wu Tianya was the first to recover, laughing carelessly. “Maybe the elders thought I looked trustworthy, with my dashing, chivalrous charm—surely not some great villain, right?”

Ding Xiao snapped back, muttering under her breath, “Trustworthy? You just look like a naive, rich fool with no sense.”

The elders, seeing Yun Yao’s unreadable expression, hesitated, wanting to salvage the situation.

But the red-clad woman suddenly turned, heading to her seat. “Enough idle talk.”
Her words seemed to catch her off guard, and she paused briefly before sitting in the chair, not looking at anyone. “The priority is escorting this treasure to Tianshan. So, Elder, tell us—what makes this treasure so extraordinary, and why are demonic cultivators so desperate to stop it?”

“…”

As her calm, almost unfamiliar words settled, Yun Yao felt a sudden clarity.

The vivid, unforgettable memories of her sect’s past were like faded scrolls, their vibrant ink destined to wash away one day.

Those people and those times were forever trapped in the past, but she couldn’t remain there.
She had to step out of those scrolls, out of the shadow of Qianmen’s little junior sister, always sheltered by her master and senior siblings—no matter how hard, she had to break free alone.

How she longed for those days and the self she was then.
But she could no longer be anyone’s little junior sister.

She had to be Yun Yao, Qianmen’s Little Martial Aunt, the sect’s foremost swordmaster, the pillar holding Qianmen steady in the immortal realm.

“No need to grieve, Master.”

Lost in thought, Yun Yao was startled by a faint voice in her mind.
She instinctively turned.

Across the narrow table, Mu Hanyuan’s eyes were like a spring lake, clear and serene. “I told you, as long as I’m here, you’ll never be alone again.”

“…”

In that instant, it was as if he saw through her heart. Yun Yao’s gaze wavered, and she instinctively looked away.

In the hall, the Jiushi Valley elders had dismissed irrelevant disciples.
The box containing the treasure was being unsealed layer by layer.

The lead elder spoke solemnly. “From the outside, this treasure is just a stone polished into a mirror. Contrary to the rumors in the immortal realm, it can’t expand spiritual seas or aid in enlightenment or breakthroughs. It has one purpose: to reveal the past and foretell the future.”

The hall fell silent.

Ding Xiao and the others were stunned.
Yun Yao, snapping back, lifted her gaze sharply, then frowned.

…They might not know, but as someone from the immortal realm, she understood the taboos of the world better.
The Red Dust Buddha’s Rebirth Eye, at the cost of nightly descents into ghost realms to ferry vengeful souls, could only be used by one person. Yet a mere stone with the terrifying ability to reveal the past and predict the future for all to see? This transcended the limits of mortal objects.
Even a supreme treasure shouldn’t be capable of this.

Ding Xiao couldn’t hold back. “If it’s truly such a divine creation, it’s worth the realms’ contention—but didn’t you just say it’s no different from a stone to most people?”

“Yes, because I haven’t mentioned its limitation,” the elder said with a wry smile. “Its ability to reveal the past and predict the future applies only to specific targets.”

“What targets?”

“Demonic cultivators.”

“—?”

This condition and function sounded oddly familiar.

In the hall, the treasure’s box had its heavy seals undone, leaving only the intricately patterned lid.

The elder unsealing it instinctively pushed the lid, opening a crack.
Light spilled through.

Buzz—!

Bang! …Bang bang!

As if sensing something outside, the box trembled violently, the treasure inside clanging loudly.

“Close it.”

A low, urgent mental transmission made the nearest elder raise his hand to slam the lid shut.

But at that moment, a slender, pale hand pressed down on the lid.

The elder looked up, startled. “Fellow Daoist Yun, you—”

“Shh.”
Yun Yao cut him off, leaning closer, peering into the box.
Seeing the strange patterns and colors on the mirror, her furrowed brow relaxed, revealing a mix of understanding and confusion.

“It really is… the Tianzhao Mirror.”

The closest elders, tense enough to draw their swords, froze at her words.
Exchanging glances, the lead elder cautiously asked, “Fellow Daoist Yun knows this object?”

“…Sort of. I read about it in ancient texts.”

Yun Yao lied casually.

—She hadn’t read about it in any texts, certainly not in the mortal realm.
The Tianzhao Mirror, also called the Demon-Revealing Mirror, hung above the gate of the forbidden palace in the Immortal Realm’s Sitian Palace, used to inspect and warn of passing demons and spirits. Rumor had it that the palace, home to the Sitian Palace Lord, housed two ancient divine artifacts capable of overturning the heavens.
But that mysterious lord, said to be the greatest among the eight divine lords, hadn’t appeared in ages.
At least, after Yun Yao ascended and became Sitian Palace’s little immortal, she’d never seen this legendary figure—not even knowing if they were male or female.

How bizarre.

How did a mirror meant to guard the Sitian Palace Lord’s gate end up in the mortal realm?

As Yun Yao pondered, she felt the box under her fingers tremble even more.
If its earlier shaking was from terror, now it seemed… excited?

Her hand froze on the lid.

Could it sense the immortal aura on her?

“Fellow Daoists, don’t you think the treasure’s banging is louder now?” an elder asked stiffly from the Jiushi Valley seats.

Another, wary, scanned the room. “Could it be reacting to something?”

At those words, the hall’s breathing seemed to stop.

“…”

Yun Yao quietly withdrew her hand from the lid.
The little Golden Lotus slowly curled its petals.
Mu Hanyuan silently glanced at his chest.
Wu Tianya stepped back.

Among the five Qianmen members and one flower, only Ding Xiao and He Fengming stood like innocent bystanders, startled, gripping their sword sheaths and eyeing the Jiushi Valley group warily.

Finally, Yun Yao cleared her throat, breaking the stalemate. “We’re all here to escort it to Tianshan, so let’s not distrust each other. Besides, you don’t need to worry—unless someone steals the whole box and ensures we can’t take it back…”

She gave a half-smile, sweeping her gaze over the Jiushi Valley elders. “It will reach Tianshan as you wish, and at the Immortal Sect Competition, in front of all the immortal sects, it will reveal the demons and spirits it’s meant to expose.”

The elders remained vigilant.
“Since Fellow Daoist Yun has guessed our plan, you should know the demonic cultivators hiding in Fuyu Palace will never let this reach the competition. They don’t need to steal it—just send someone to infiltrate our team and shatter it!”

“Not to mention whether those demonic cultivators would destroy such a rare treasure that can predict their future,” Yun Yao paused, “but this mirror? Even if your entire valley teamed up, you couldn’t break it. Believe me?”

“Utter nonsense!” the short-tempered elder roared.

Yun Yao smiled faintly, gesturing. “Don’t believe me? Try it with your sword.”

The elder, furious, stepped forward, then froze, pointing at her. “What a cunning trick! Are you the demonic spy in Qianmen, trying to trick me into smashing it?!”

“Fine.”
Yun Yao, done with arguing, shrugged. “I’ll try it.”

As her words fell, an unheralded sword flash sliced through the hall, dazzling like snow.

The Jiushi Valley elders’ faces changed, instinctively dodging the box and striking at Yun Yao—

Clang!
A zither note rang out, sharp as a startled bird.

The killing intent aimed at Yun Yao dissolved like spring breeze, turning into a shower of golden rain falling across the hall.

A few breaths later, the wind stilled, and everyone seemed frozen in a painting.

Yun Yao stood by the box, unharmed.

Around her—
Wu Tianya held his sword forward, standing between her and the Jiushi Valley elders.
Mu Hanyuan stood behind, his zither floating before him, his fingers pressing the strings, poised with unreleased killing intent, his cold gaze fixed on the elders who had acted.

The elders, eyes wide with fury, ignored the spiritual rain, staring at the box.

—Everyone had seen clearly: Yun Yao’s lethal sword strike had hit the box dead-on.

Realizing there was no chance to salvage it, the elders, enraged, surged forward.

“Wu Tianya! Why did you betray us?!”
“How dare you, after the Valley Master trusted you—”

“Enough noise,” Yun Yao said softly, cutting them off. “Come see for yourselves—is the mirror damaged?”

“…”

The four elders exchanged hesitant glances.
After her words, they realized—no one sensed any loss of the treasure’s aura. At most, it seemed quieter, cowering in a corner, frozen in fear.
Still uncertain, they stepped forward.

Yun Yao stepped back, glancing at them.

—
They’d all acted swiftly and ruthlessly, not one hesitating. Even Xiao Zhong, that scheming dog sitting there like air, had thrown a sword aura her way.
At least it seemed Jiushi Valley’s people could be trusted.

As she mused, the elders confirmed it, each more incredulous than the last.

“How could this mirror withstand such a strike unscathed?”

“Because you don’t know its origin.”
Yun Yao, after a moment’s thought, revealed half the truth. “According to ancient texts, this is an immortal realm object. That’s likely why it can only be carried by hand, not stored in mortal artifacts or sent directly to Tianshan.”

“An immortal realm object?!”

“Exactly. The divide between immortal and mortal,” Yun Yao said, glancing at the mirror and casually closing the lid. “With mortal power, damaging an immortal object is simply impossible.”

Before they could speak again, she added, “Not even a Tribulation-stage cultivator could do it.”

Having answered their doubts and learned their plan, Yun Yao’s expression grew weary, her tone relaxing. “So as long as you’re not afraid of it being stolen, you could hang it on your chest.”
She walked out, glancing at the flushed elders. “Use it as a heart-protecting mirror?”

The lead elder snapped back, asking worriedly, “Where are you going, Fellow Daoist?”

“Back to my room to rest. I can’t help with the rest. Call me when we leave.”
Yun Yao waved her fingers lazily. “Let’s go.”

“?”

The group was confused, unsure who she was addressing.

Then, from Qianmen’s seats, Mu Hanyuan’s snowy robes fluttered. He brushed his zither, tucking it into his waistband, and, holding the little Golden Lotus, nodded slightly to the elders.
“Farewell.”

Under their stunned gazes, his ethereal figure followed the red-clad girl out.

Ding Xiao and He Fengming, not daring to linger, hurried after.

After a long moment, an elder finally recovered. “Lord Hanyuan, with his little junior sister… could it be…”

“No ‘could it be.’”
The elder turned, meeting Wu Tianya’s lazy gaze as he slouched in his chair.
His ordinary face carried a sharp, striking charm when he smiled.
“They’re senior brother and sister. It’d be improper to suggest otherwise.”

“…Huh?”

The elder blinked, confused.

Two days later.

In the dense forest Jiushi Valley’s group had recently passed, at dusk near nightfall, several figures cloaked in black mist slowly emerged.
The mist obscured their faces and forms, writhing menacingly around them.

The leader stopped, turning. “How long have they paused?”

“One incense stick.”
From the group, one stepped forward, holding a compass-like object.
Its radiant spiritual glow marked it as no ordinary item, but a treasure.

In the opened compass, a star-like light shone, piercing the forest’s darkness.

The lead figure stared at the light, sneering coldly. “They thought changing routes would throw us off. With this Spirit-Revealing Compass, as long as they carry that mirror, they’ll never escape!”

“Palace Master, when do we act tonight?”

“Wait a bit longer. We must confirm Lord Hanyuan is with the treasure before—”

His words cut off.
The leader rubbed his eyes, annoyed. “Is this compass malfunctioning?”

The compass holder blinked, looking down. “How could it? It’s always been… huh?”

On the compass, amid the misty sea, a second light, no less brilliant than the first, appeared beside it.

The leader froze, then laughed, his voice thick with greed. “Another rare treasure in their group?!”

At the same time.

After two days of travel, Jiushi Valley’s group and Yun Yao’s team had exhausted the horses carrying the heavy sealed box. They chose a gentle grassland for a night’s rest.
By a babbling stream, the scene was eerily quiet.

Just three breaths ago, under everyone’s noses, a golden light had suddenly illuminated the darkening night.

Everyone froze, mid-conversation or action, turning toward the source—
From Mu Hanyuan’s sleeve, the little Golden Lotus’s glowing figure emerged.

“Pfft… cough cough.”

Standing with Ding Xiao, Yun Yao, caught off guard by the lotus’s wiggling toes, choked on her water.

The closest Jiushi Valley elder, dumbstruck, pointed at it. “This is…”

Trapped in flower form for days, the little Golden Lotus seized its chance to appear, tilting its head back and opening its mouth toward Mu Hanyuan.
“Dadd—”

Before the first syllable fully formed, a flash of red surged forward.

With lightning speed, Yun Yao grabbed the lotus, clamping its mouth shut, and shot it a stern warning glance.

…Call out again, and I’ll pluck your lotus core!

The little Golden Lotus pouted, aggrieved.

The streamside was eerily silent.

In the quiet, someone finally cleared their throat.

Wu Tianya, previously lounging with a grass blade in his mouth, sat up, hands behind his head.
Knees bent, he dangled the leaf, looking at the lotus in Yun Yao’s arms and drawling, “Junior Sister, did you… swing by Fantian Temple and sneak out a little monk?”