Chapter 1- Returned

The summer rain had just stopped, and the sun in the sky was irritating everyone.

“It's too hot.”

Within the Xifeng Sect, every disciple wished for the wandering clouds to return and rain once again.

Even the elders and peak masters were drenched in sweat as they gazed at the sky, searching for clouds.

Had a wandering cloud ever stopped to soothe the souls of people? It was worse than a demon.

But for some reason, the entire sect was turned anew, as if a festival were being held even in the heat of summer—Someone was coming, though not many knew who.

The master of Su Peak was waiting for someone at the sect Gates. That someone must be some important person; otherwise, she would not be waiting at the gates under the scorching sun.

Su's peak master, Yinghua, was a woman in her late twenties. She was just twenty-four when she became the peak master. Not everyone at her age had even dreamed of gaining such authority, and as a woman, it was even more difficult.

But Yinghua was different; she was not a pale, graceful, and delicate woman. Her skin was dusky, and instead of pastel robes, she wore heavy armour. In place of jewellery, she was accustomed to wearing heavy arm guards and wielding a heavy blade as her weapon.

In front of her, many men seemed unmanly.

Even in the scorching heat, she had her armour and arm guard on, looking as if she was ready to kill someone, not to receive someone.

Her face tells a different story. The disciples, elders, and other people who had seen her today were speechless. For a moment, they thought they had seen someone else. The relaxing look on her face and slightly upturned lips….

“Is Peakmaster Yinghua smiling?”— someone in the group of passing-by disciples murmured.

“Looks like she is.”

“She always bore an angry face…. I get scared.”

“Looking at peak master smile, I don't know why, but I am getting creeped out.”

“me too”

“Look at my hands. I am getting goosebumps.”

“This is not right, it's an anomaly, something bad is about to happen.”

The disciples chatted as they cautiously bowed to her and walked away.

Indeed, there was an anomaly, but no one could say whether it was good or bad. Even Yinghua was unaware.

The anomaly was none other than the return of her shidi —Lanyao (Lan as blue and yao as jade).

For seven years, her shidi had been wandering around the world, cultivating on its own. After the death of their shifu, Su Xin, they each went their separate ways, walking their paths without ever looking back.

All of Su Xin’s disciples had taken different paths; some stayed, some left, and some never returned….

Before Lanyao had left the sect, Yinghua had asked him only one question—” When will you return?”

But Lanyao, without ever looking back, walked down the alley before disappearing into the dark.

And Yinghua knew he would never return.

For years, Yinghua had often heard about a kind, blue-eyed cultivator, and she knew who it was -” her kind shidi”. But with time, these rumour seems to fade.

Sometimes Yinghua thought,” Is Lanyao okay? Is he alive or dead?”

She had no idea. She can only pray for his wellness and hopes to meet him somewhere in the future while travelling.

But even in her dreams, she had never thought Lanyao would return to the sect.

A few days ago, she had received a paper crane messenger telling her that he would be back in four to five days. After hearing this message, she was unable to put her thoughts aside for quite some time.

“Why was he returning?”

“Is he immortal now?”

She was happy, yet she couldn’t shake off the feeling of dread.

Although she was now the peak master, his shidi was more powerful than hers —perfect to be enthroned with the peak master title. He possessed divine eyes, a powerful spiritual core, a solid cultivation foundation, and had mastered the Swift Blade Technique. Moreover, at only seventeen, he had defeated the Sect Leader Zhen of the East. And what was Yinghua? From the very start, she had been mediocre—someone who merely managed to stand where she was now. She had nothing exceptional; only her raw strength was something she could take pride in. Other than that, her fragile core made her no better than a mortal.

But what a cultivator was, without a core? Her strength can make her a warrior or a soldier, but not a cultivator, not an immortal.

She was envious of Lanyao— she didn't want to hide this fact, and never tried to.

Sometimes she wondered how perfect her shidi was, in terms of power, nature, and looks—he was surely the child of heaven.

How could anyone not become jealous of him?

His elegance, his flawless grace, the way his robes fluttered perfectly. Everything about him was serene and untouchable.

On the other hand, Yinghua was complete opposite. She possessed neither beauty nor grace, neither intellect nor kindness.

Lanyao was the divine lotus blooming in the mud called the mortal world, and who was she- a mere mudskipper or a tadpole?

As she stood at the gate, a thought came to her mind. “Did Lanyao finally ascend to immortality?” She wouldn't be surprised if he had. Their shifu had especially trained him so he could become an immortal. But before he could do so, she died……..

Before she could drown herself in a gloom, a thought came to her mind….

What would people call him —blue-eyed immortal? Or fox immortal?

She laughed under her breath, but something caught her eye. She rushed outside and glanced over the street.

Why is everything decorated as if there is a festival?

Then she realised something.

Shit! Why did I tell the sect leader about his return? Lanyao had clearly written in his letter that he didn't want to tell anyone about his return, but still, I informed him. Why? Why? At first, he decorated the whole sect like a bride. Fine, I didn’t complain, I thought he was just being emotional. But why on earth was he decorating the entire West-Wind Town like a bridesmaid?

Yinghua roamed around and saw that even the small, abandoned street, one that seemed as though no one had ever walked upon it, was now adorned with beautiful decorations.

It was a good thing her shidi wasn’t grumpy; otherwise, he would have blamed her for it.

“I clearly told you not to tell anyone,” Yinghua complained to the sect leader. As she was on the way to the Xi Palace, which was the residence of the sect leaders, she found the sect leader in the main street teaching people how to throw flowers when Lanyao walked down the path.

“Aiyo, Yinghua. Why are you like that? Su Huzi was returning after so many years.—Ahem— As a sect leader, I should welcome my member.”

“As a sect leader, I had never seen you welcome anyone.”

“Yihghua, Su huzi was not just anyone, he was a disciple of Su peak, one of the strongest cultivators, not only that, he had ascended to immortality.”

“Lanyao never mentioned in his message that he became an immortal.”

“Even if he didn't become immortal, do you think he was any less than an immortal? He was already a half-immortal... Make sure to look at him when he walks down this path.”-he pointed at the main road, which had been cleared and cleaned. His blue jade-like eyes, his white robes fluttering in the wind. In one hand, he carried the sword and on the other……….. ” —sect leader keeps on singing the praises of Lanyao. Unable to hear anymore, Yinghua simply ignored him.

She looked at the main road. It was right; if Lanyao were to walk on this road, it would clearly resemble an immortal descending from heaven.

Seven years ago, this was the same road where both of them had parted.

“How much taller had he gotten? I wish not taller than me.”— as Yinghua was lost in the thoughts of her half-immortal Shidi, she was brought back by a shrill.

“HE IS COMING! HE IS COMING! HE IS COMING!”— Three green parrots screeched to inform people, hovering over the sky.

“Why did the sect leader have messengers like this. If they did not belong to him, I had killed them already,” Yinghua thought.

So he was finally here.

Everyone gathered there, whether they were commoners or cultivators, disciples or the sect leader; they all wanted to see the immortal.

But when they saw the person walking down the main road was not some immortal with blue eyes and fluttering white robes, carrying a heavenly sword in his hand, but a beggar with old and tattered robes, holding a bamboo stick, and his eyes were covered with a strip of white cloth, all the excitement turned into resentment.

and the resentment was towards the three green parrots

“No, it's not him.” — The leader sighed.

They cursed these parrots.

“It was just a beggar, and we were getting excited. These parrots are worse.”

Now everyone wants to kill these parrots.

At first glance, Yinghua scoffed, but on second, she was stunned.

This person….. How did he become like this? What would have happened? Why was he covering his eyes? These……

“Is this ….” — The sect leader wanted to say something, but his voice faded before he could complete his sentence.

“Yes, he is Lanyao,” Yinghua replied.