Volume 3, Chapter 290 – The Weakness of the Wolf

“Muxue’s talent in sword cultivation is extraordinarily rare.” Chi Xiyan said. “I once demonstrated a sword technique in front of her, one that has very little circulation in the outside world. She only watched it once and was able to reproduce it in full.”

Chi Xiyan gave a faint, rueful smile. “With a gift like that, keeping her in the Chi family would likely hold back her future.”

Song Shutao was surprised. “Can the Chi family not find a suitable teacher for her?”

Chi Xiyan continued, “The Chi family is only an ordinary merchant household. Even with some wealth and resources, our connections are nothing compared to those of families with centuries of lineage behind them.”

“The Chi family can find a teacher to guide Muxue through her early steps, but to take her further than that? That is simply beyond our reach…”

Song Shutao nodded. “Given her sword cultivation talent, one of the Seven Sword Sects would be her best option.”

“No…” Chi Xiyan shook her head. “Not the Seven Sword Sects. Immortal Venerable Qingzhi.”

Song Shutao understood now.

Why it had to be Immortal Venerable Qingzhi specifically.

It was because Immortal Venerable Qingzhi, while she was a Venerable Saint of a sword sect, occupied a position that was, by its very nature, independent of the Seven Sword Sects’ structure.

She resided at Lingxiao Mountain and was a disciple of Lingxiao Sword Sect, yet she was bound by none of Lingxiao Sword Sect’s obligations.

Immortal Venerable Qingzhi was more like a special power unto herself, standing outside the Seven Sword Sects entirely.

Chi Muxue had the Sacred Sword Physique. If she were to take a master from the Seven Sword Sects, whichever sect she joined, she would inevitably be drawn into the conflicts between them.

Immortal Venerable Qingzhi was the sole exception.

If Chi Muxue were to become Immortal Venerable Qingzhi’s disciple and receive her protection, no one in the Seven Sword Sects would dare set their sights on her again.

“So…” Song Shutao smiled wryly. “You agreed to move up the wedding date because of this?”

Chi Xiyan was quiet for a moment before she said softly, “I’m sorry…”

“But I have no other choice.”

“My marriage, my future, these are things I can no longer decide for myself.”

“At the very least, I want to do what I can within the reach of my own hands. I don’t want my younger sister to face the same things I have.”

“You can understand that, Young Master Song, can’t you?”

Song Shutao said nothing.

Chi Xiyan’s words resonated deeply with her.

Daughters of great families all tended to go through something like this.

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Song Shutao herself was no exception.

Though she had been somewhat fortunate. As a legitimate daughter of the Song family, none of the prominent young men of her generation had been a suitable match for her. And she had managed to develop something of her own, a path she had forged herself.

So she had, in her own way, escaped that fate.

Chi Xiyan, however, had clearly not been so lucky.

Song Shutao sighed quietly. “I’m sorry. This is not something I can decide.”

She was not Song Shixuan. She had only come in his place to finalize the engagement, and once that was done, she would leave and let the real Song Shixuan come to marry Chi Xiyan.

She had never even met Immortal Venerable Qingzhi, let alone had any means of introducing Chi Muxue to her.

So this was simply not within her power.

Hearing this, Chi Xiyan’s face went a shade paler. “Is there truly no way?” she asked, a faint note of desolation in her voice.

Song Shutao said, “Immortal Venerable Qingzhi moves without a fixed path. Even her own disciples rarely have opportunities to see her.”

“Her two current disciples are taught in her place by the Lingxiao Sword Sect elders.”

“Miss Xiyan, if you truly wish to find Muxue a teacher, Lingxiao Sword Sect would be the best choice.”

Chi Xiyan was quiet for a moment, then let out a soft sigh. “I’m sorry, Young Master Song. Coming to visit like this in private, I’ve disturbed you.”

Song Shutao waved her hand. “Not at all. You are my betrothed. Something like this could never be called a disturbance.”

Chi Xiyan produced a small vial of pills. “Young Master Song, this is a small token of apology for Muxue’s offense today. Please accept it.”

Song Shutao had been about to decline outright, but the moment the scent from the pills in Chi Xiyan’s hand reached her, her eyes lit up.

The quality of these pills was far from low. Only an alchemist like Chi Xiyan, with no shortage of resources, could casually pull something like this out to give away.

Song Shutao quickly said, “Oh, I couldn’t possibly…”

“Young Master Song is too kind,” Chi Xiyan said. “What I did just now was overstepping. Please don’t take it to heart.”

“Not at all, not at all.” Song Shutao said. “What happened today, I won’t breathe a word of it to anyone.”

After another moment of hesitation, Song Shutao decided to accept Chi Xiyan’s gift.

Because she knew that if she didn’t, Chi Xiyan wouldn’t feel at ease either.

After a few more brief pleasantries, Chi Xiyan rose to take her leave.

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Song Shutao walked her to the door and watched as she wrapped herself in her cloak and disappeared into the courtyard.

Song Shutao’s brow furrowed slightly.

‘Chi Xiyan… what exactly are you planning…’

She couldn’t make sense of it. If Chi Xiyan wanted Chi Muxue to become Immortal Venerable Qingzhi’s disciple, why did she need to come in secret and avoid the eyes and ears of the Chi family?

Chi Muxue was the Chi family’s daughter. Shouldn’t the decision about who she studied under fall to the Chi family head?

Was Chi Xiyan trying to keep this from the family head?

And if so, why?

Had something happened within the Chi family?

Or perhaps Chi Xiyan, for all that she was the Chi family’s Eldest Miss, had other things on her mind entirely.

Song Shutao furrowed her brow.

She was a daughter of a great family herself. She understood the inner workings of these households better than most.

Chi Xiyan had a deep and layered mind. She was clearly the most dangerous kind of great family child, the kind who never showed everything on the surface.

She was nothing like the straightforward person she appeared to be.

So her desire to have her younger sister become Immortal Venerable Qingzhi’s disciple. Was it really only to keep her sister from being controlled by great families and sword sects?

Drawing on her understanding of great family children, Song Shutao felt this matter wasn’t that simple.

There were likely other reasons beneath the surface.

“Goodness. The murky waters of the Chi family seem even deeper than I expected.”

Song Shutao muttered to herself with a sigh.

…

On the other side, the expression on Chi Xiyan’s face gradually grew cold.

Even though she had already anticipated that Song Shixuan might refuse, actually being refused still left her feeling deeply uncomfortable.

Admittedly, Song Shixuan was only Immortal Venerable Qingzhi’s disciple. He truly had no authority to decide things on her behalf.

But Song Shixuan hadn’t even offered to help make an introduction. He had simply proposed that Chi Muxue join Lingxiao Sword Sect directly.

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Well. He was the Young Sect Master of Lingxiao Sword Sect, of course. Naturally he would stand on Lingxiao Sword Sect’s side.

“Lingxiao Sword Sect…”

Chi Xiyan turned the thought over quietly.

Her engagement to Song Shixuan had been brokered by Lingxiao Sword Sect in the first place.

Lingxiao Sword Sect held enormous power. The Chi family was only an ordinary merchant household. How could they resist?

Moreover, forming ties with the Song family and Lingxiao Sword Sect was not, on the surface, a bad thing for the Chi family. Weighing the costs and benefits, the Chi family had agreed to the match.

Chi Xiyan herself had no particular objection to the marriage. If it brought her sufficient advantages, she was prepared to accept it.

But if Lingxiao Sword Sect harbored other intentions beyond what they had shown, that would be a different matter entirely.

‘If I marry Song Shixuan, I will become the wife of Lingxiao Sword Sect’s Young Sect Master, and the Chi family will be bound to Lingxiao Sword Sect completely.’

‘Muxue should not become too entangled with Lingxiao Sword Sect.’

“…” Chi Xiyan pressed her fingers to her temple. ‘Among the Seven Sword Sects, which others could be considered…’

‘Qinglan Sword Sect?’

‘Qinglan Sword Sect was dealt a devastating blow. Their vitality has never fully recovered. Disciples have been lost, resources are scarce, and even their Sect Master, Liu Funing, has been stalled at the Seventh Realm peak for far too long. The Chi family extending a hand to them now would be like sending coal in the dead of winter.’

‘But with Qinglan Sword Sect so weakened, would it be safe enough for Muxue?’

‘If Qinglan Sword Sect won’t do, what about Lingxu Sword Sect?’

‘Lingxu Sword Sect’s master, Huang Xifeng, was originally from a great family. But after becoming Sect Master, she cut all family influence from within the sect completely.’

‘After clearing out those who had been feeding off the sect, Lingxu Sword Sect became unified from top to bottom, more cohesive than ever before.’

‘The sect’s strength has been growing steadily, rapidly.’

‘It has even reached a point where it can stand as an equal against Lingxiao Sword Sect.’

‘Perhaps… Lingxu Sword Sect could also be a very strong option.’

…

In a small courtyard where colorful butterflies drifted through the air, Bu Lianshuang sat curled in the garden, sobbing quietly.

Lu Zhuxin walked slowly toward her. She could see Bu Lianshuang’s shoulders, tucked in among the flowers, still trembling faintly.

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“Chi Xiyan once said something to me.”

“Tears can’t earn you anything. They only let others see your weakness and helplessness.”

Bu Lianshuang heard Lu Zhuxin’s voice. Her shoulders stiffened for a moment.

“So… my lady came out here specifically to mock me for being weak and helpless?”

“I only wanted to see,” Lu Zhuxin said, “how long the little kitten curled up in my garden could go on whimpering like that.”

“Well, now you’ve seen.” Bu Lianshuang hiccuped through her tears. “If you want to laugh, just say so.”

“Why would I laugh.” Lu Zhuxin continued. “The wolf clan are fierce and battle-hardened. On the field of war, unmatched in valor, fearless in the face of death. The most celebrated warriors of the Demon Territory. Praised by all.”

“But the fox clan has never liked the wolf clan. They only see them as brutish and mindless, savage and cruel, with no sense of refinement.”

Bu Lianshuang pursed her lips. “That’s just prejudice from you fox people!”

The wolf clan held just as many prejudices about the fox clan in return.

Bu Lianshuang had always tried to treat those prejudices as sweeping generalizations, baseless rumors. But she had been hurt by the little fox lady, again and again.

By now, she didn’t know anymore what kind of person the little fox lady truly was.

“Yes. Those are nothing but prejudices. I’m certain of that now.”

Lu Zhuxin lowered her gaze slightly.

“In the eyes of the world, the wolf clan are bold and fierce warriors, unafraid of death.”

“But tonight, I’ve seen a side of the wolf clan that the world doesn’t know.”

“The wolf clan are not unfeeling machines built only for battle.”

“The wolf clan can be hurt too. They can shed tears.”

“When their hearts are broken, they show their weakness just like anyone else.”

Bu Lianshuang went still.

Lu Zhuxin went on, “Whether it’s a fox or a wolf, the way they look when they cry is no different at all.”