Volume 1, Chapter 40 – The Position of Deputy Palace Master

Gu Han swiftly looked Yun Yun over without revealing the slightest trace of scrutiny.

She was tall and graceful, with peerless beauty. Her elegant, otherworldly bearing carried the dignified grace of one long accustomed to authority, while wisdom and serenity rested between her brows.

She did indeed closely match the image in Gu Han’s memories.

However, the Yun Yun before her was clearly not the Yun Yun from the Dou Qi Continent.

The spiritual power faintly circulating around her revealed that she, too, was at the ninth heaven of Tribulation Transcendence!

Moreover, judging from the solidity of her cultivation and the restrained Dao resonance surrounding her, she had by no means only recently entered this realm.

Another “conceptual incarnation,” and one directly endowed with cultivation at the ninth heaven of Tribulation Transcendence!

Thoughts raced through Gu Han’s mind, but her face had already returned to its usual calm and impassive state. She nodded slightly, her voice clear and ethereal.

“Yun Yun… A fine name.”

“This place is Yaochi Immortal Palace. I am Gu Han, the Palace Master of this place.”

She paused and calmly met Yun Yun’s searching, faintly bewildered eyes before continuing.

“Since you have come here, it means fate has brought us together.”

“From this day forward, you shall be the Deputy Palace Master of Yaochi Immortal Palace, overseeing the palace’s affairs and assisting with both internal and external matters.”

At those words, Yun Yun’s slender brows drew together slightly.

Yaochi Immortal Palace? Deputy Palace Master?

To someone whose memories were almost entirely blank, this information felt abrupt and unfamiliar.

She remembered only that her name was Yun Yun.

She retained fragments of instinctive knowledge and experience concerning how to manage a sect and coordinate its affairs.

She also remembered certain insights into cultivation and some understanding of the Sword Dao.

But as for where she had come from or why she had appeared here, everything was shrouded in chaos.

Even so, the subtle connection linking her to the person before her and to this world could not be false.

The Palace Master before her possessed an unfathomable aura and a calm demeanor that nevertheless contained supreme authority.

It made Yun Yun understand that the other woman’s words were true and that she held absolute control over the situation.

Yun Yun fell silent for a moment, seemingly digesting the enormous amount of information while weighing her options.

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At last, she raised her eyes. The initial confusion within them gradually gave way to composed calm and a sense of responsibility.

She bowed once more, her posture elegant and solemn.

“Yun Yun… respectfully obeys the Palace Master’s command.”

“However…”

She spoke with slight hesitation.

“My memories are incomplete, and much of my past has already become blurred. I fear I may fail to live up to the Palace Master’s trust…”

[Ding! Deputy Palace Master Yun Yun has taken her position!]

[Cultivation: Peak of the ninth heaven of Tribulation Transcendence]

[Specialties: Sect coordination, resource management, external negotiations, Sword Dao (wind attribute)]

[Status: Memory loss (core management instincts and some cultivation insights retained)]

[Loyalty: 50 (based on recognition of the rules and initial trust)]

The System’s notification sounded in Gu Han’s mind at just the right moment, confirming part of her speculation.

Understanding dawned in Gu Han’s heart.

It seemed that the “Yun Yun” created by the System had retained her most essential management abilities as the leader of a sect, along with some of her cultivation traits.

However, her memories concerning the specific world she had come from had been blurred or stripped away.

That was just as well. It spared Gu Han the trouble of explaining many things.

“There is no need to worry.”

Gu Han’s tone was calm, carrying a reassuring certainty.

“Incomplete memories are not necessarily a bad thing. Yaochi Immortal Palace will be your new beginning. The past is like drifting smoke; it is the future that holds promise.”

“You need only remember that, from this day forward, you are the Deputy Palace Master of Yaochi Immortal Palace and a member of my family. That will be enough.”

As she spoke, she raised a hand and tapped lightly. A ray of spiritual light entered Yun Yun’s brow.

It contained the basic information about Yaochi Immortal Palace, its rules and prohibitions, and its current organizational structure.

“This contains the palace’s basic information. Familiarize yourself with it first. As for specific affairs…”

Gu Han’s gaze shifted slightly as she thought of Liu Ruyan, who was about to return home.

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“As it happens, my second disciple, Liu Ruyan, needs to return to her family tomorrow. You shall accompany her.”

“First, to ensure her safety. Second, you may take this opportunity to familiarize yourself with the outside world.”

Yun Yun swiftly absorbed the information in her mind and gained a preliminary understanding of Yaochi Immortal Palace.

The palace had only recently been founded, but its framework was already in place. Though its members were few, none of them were ordinary, and their potential was limitless.

Grand Elder Li Hanyi, like Yun Yun herself, was a sword cultivator at the ninth heaven of Tribulation Transcendence.

As for Palace Master Gu Han…

Yun Yun could not fathom her cultivation realm at all. Standing before her felt like gazing into a bottomless abyss or looking up at an immeasurable mountain.

Hearing Gu Han’s arrangement, Yun Yun’s heart stirred slightly.

Accompanying a disciple home would indeed be an excellent opportunity to understand the outside world while also observing the temperament and abilities of the palace’s disciples.

She immediately composed herself and answered respectfully.

“Yun Yun accepts the order. I will ensure her safe passage and pay attention to developments on all sides.”

Gu Han nodded in satisfaction. She greatly appreciated Yun Yun’s calm efficiency and how quickly she had settled into her role.

“System.”

Gu Han called out inwardly, a trace of puzzlement in her tone.

“Did you ‘forget’ something?”

“Li Hanyi has Listening Rain. Surely my Deputy Palace Master cannot be left empty-handed?”

[Ding! The Host’s doubts have been detected… System self-diagnostic in progress…]

[Warning! An anomaly has been detected in Yun Yun’s equipment… Her natal artifact, a heaven-rank flying sword, is missing!]

[Error code: 404!]

[System repairs in progress… Repairs complete! One heaven-rank supreme-grade growth-type flying sword has been retrieved from the reserve warehouse and issued as compensation!]

[Note: This error was purely accidental and was absolutely not caused by the System cutting corners! Host, please do not overthink it!]

As Gu Han listened to the string of notifications that clearly sounded like an attempt to conceal the obvious, the corner of her mouth twitched despite herself.

This System… It really cared far too much about saving face.

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“Enough. Stop explaining and bring out the sword already,” Gu Han said helplessly in her mind.

[Ding! Compensation item delivered to the System warehouse! Host, please check it!]

With a thought, Gu Han indeed saw a new longsword inside the System warehouse.

Its blade was slender and approximately three chi and three cun long, with a pale azure hue like the open sky.

The scabbard was also pale azure. Its material was neither metal nor jade, and subtle cloud patterns were engraved upon its surface, lending it an ancient yet elegant appearance.

Near the hilt of the blade were two small characters written in an ancient seal script: Tianlan.

“The Tianlan Sword…”

Gu Han silently repeated the name. It truly suited Yun Yun.

She took the Tianlan Sword out of the System warehouse and held it in her hand.

The blade trembled faintly and emitted a soft hum. As though it possessed a spirit of its own, it naturally attracted and resonated with the surrounding wind-attributed spiritual energy.

“Yun Yun.”

Gu Han extended the Tianlan Sword toward her.

“This sword is called Tianlan. It is a heaven-rank supreme-grade sword imbued with the nature of wind and can grow alongside its master. It is highly compatible with you.”

“Today, I bestow it upon you as your natal sword.”

From the moment the longsword appeared in Gu Han’s hand, Yun Yun’s gaze had been drawn to it involuntarily.

A sense of familiarity welled up in her heart, as though this sword had always been meant to belong to her.

She stepped forward and accepted the Tianlan Sword with both hands.

The instant her fingertips touched the hilt…

“Buzz!”

The Tianlan Sword suddenly released a clear, lingering sword cry several times louder than when Gu Han had held it!

Azure light erupted from the blade, and layers of cloud mist rose from it, curling around Yun Yun and making her resemble an immortal maiden among the clouds.

At the same time, a pure and majestic wind-spirit sword intent flowed from the blade.

Without the slightest obstruction, it resonated with the spiritual power and soul within Yun Yun, swiftly establishing an intimate connection!

A heaven-grade flying sword had voluntarily acknowledged its master!

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Yun Yun’s entire body trembled. The longsword in her hand seemed to have become an extension of her own body, and an unprecedented sensation surged through her heart.

Countless insights into the Sword Dao began to assemble and flash through her mind of their own accord, like fragments of a shattered mirror piecing themselves back together.

She tightened her grip around the hilt and felt the bloodline-like harmony between them. For the first time, clear emotion and delight appeared upon her breathtaking face.

“Many thanks for the Palace Master’s generous gift!”

Yun Yun’s voice trembled slightly as she bowed to Gu Han once more.

“I will not fail this sword, nor will I fail the Palace Master’s trust!”

“We are all family. There is no need to be so formal.”

“Go and rest for now so you can settle in. I will have Liu Ruyan come find you later.”

Gu Han smiled and waved her hand.

“Yes. Yun Yun shall take her leave.”

Yun Yun bowed once more, then turned with elegant poise and walked out of the main hall at an unhurried pace.

Watching Yun Yun’s departing figure, Gu Han let out a soft breath, and a smile surfaced in her eyes.

Yun Yun’s arrival had not only resolved the urgent shortage of capable administrators in Yaochi Immortal Palace.

It had also given Gu Han a deeper understanding of the System’s mechanism for creating “conceptual incarnations.”

“Yun Yun from Battle Through the Heavens, Li Hanyi from The Blood of Youth… The System certainly draws from a wide range of sources.”

She muttered softly to herself and shook her head.

“I wonder whether any other ‘familiar faces’ will be brought over in the future…”

Still, the current lineup was beginning to look increasingly impressive.

A Sword Immortal to hold the fort, a demon king as a guardian, an alchemist to oversee matters, and now a Deputy Palace Master skilled in overall coordination and management…

At long last, Gu Han no longer had to shoulder the entire burden of Yaochi Immortal Palace alone.

She could finally relax and become a “hands-off leader” who occasionally gave strategic directions but spent most of her time drinking tea and cultivating.

At the thought, Gu Han’s mood brightened even further.

She closed her eyes once more and immersed herself in cultivation.