When Li Fan found Senior Sister Zhao, she was watching Qin Shou spar with other disciples of the Yuehua Branch.
Senior Brother Qin's cultivation was formidable, that much was plain. A stream of earthen-yellow divine light served him for both offense and defense, and despite being only at the mid-stage Nascent Soul realm, he sparred against final-stage Nascent Soul cultivators with ease.
His qi reserves were deep and enduring, and he could battle for hours without showing the slightest strain.
He had already fought nearly every disciple under Zhang Wangshuang without losing once.
Even so, Qin Shou gave Zhang Wangshuang ample face. Each match ended either in a draw or a hard-fought victory after a prolonged struggle. None of Senior Sister Zhao's martial brothers or sisters bore him any ill will for defeating them; if anything, they admired his character all the more for it.
Even Senior Sister Zhao, watching from the sidelines, occasionally had a flicker of admiration in her eyes.
Li Fan saw it from a distance and cursed inwardly. Good thing I came when I did, or the foundation would've been dug right out from under me. [1]
He composed his expression and approached her, gently taking her slender hand in his.
Senior Sister Zhao glanced at him, startled slightly, but did not pull away.
"So this is Senior Brother Qin from the Lianshan Branch," Li Fan said, letting a note of envy into his voice. "Truly awe-inspiring. I wonder when I'll ever reach that level."
Senior Sister Zhao had been quietly worried that Li Fan, having heard the gossip, might feel jealous. It seemed she had worried for nothing. And yet, strangely, alongside her relief, a faint thread of disappointment stirred in her chest.
She kept it to herself and offered him a warm smile. "Junior Brother, your diligence in cultivation is rare in this world. Catching up to Senior Brother Qin shouldn't be beyond you."
Li Fan said nothing, only shaking his head with a quiet sigh.
Senior Sister Zhao frowned. She sent a voice transmission quickly: "What's wrong? Did something go wrong during your seclusion?"
Li Fan spoke slowly. "I had meant to push through and achieve Golden Core in one go this time. But every time the thought arose, my spiritual sense screamed warnings, as if doing so would bring about some catastrophic disaster."
Senior Sister Zhao's frown deepened, then eased. "Core formation cannot be forced. Your premonition is likely sound. It simply means the time is not yet right."
"Yes, I think so too," Li Fan nodded.
Then he shifted. "It's been several years since I last left the mountain. The cultivation world is vast, and I've spent all of it within the sect walls. It's no different from inventing a cart behind closed doors. Now that my cultivation has stalled, I plan to descend the mountain and seek a breakthrough opportunity elsewhere."
"Junior Brother, you..." Astonishment crossed Senior Sister Zhao's face, followed quickly by protest. "It's not as peaceful down the mountain as it is here. Demonic beasts run rampant, and rogue cultivators are worse—they'll do anything for spirit stones and techniques. Even disciples of our Great Dao Sect have gone missing without a trace while traveling outside..."
Li Fan cut her off, his gaze steady. "My mind is made up, Senior Sister. The path of immortality is long, and the road to eternal life is hard. If I lack even this much courage, how could I walk the journey ahead by your side?"
At such openly romantic words, Senior Sister Zhao's cheeks flushed faintly, and her grip on his hand tightened.
On the dueling platform, Qin Shou had once again seized a commanding advantage and was on the verge of victory when he turned his head. The tender, unguarded look in Senior Sister Zhao's eyes as she gazed at Li Fan shattered his concentration. His qi surged and faltered. His opponent seized the opening and nearly turned the match against him.
A shadow moved through Qin Shou's eyes. He wrenched his attention back to the fight.
By the time he finally reversed the situation and claimed his victory, Senior Sister Zhao and Li Fan had already gone. Qin Shou smiled, but jealousy was already burning in his chest.
Seven days later, Li Fan left the Great Dao Sect in search of a core formation opportunity. Worried for his safety, Senior Sister Zhao descended the mountain shortly after, citing her own need for a breakthrough.
Her intention was transparent enough that no one could have missed it. Yet her master, Zhang Wangshuang, did not stop her. Instead, he pressed a Heavenly Mechanisms Guide into her hands, an instrument that could point its bearer toward opportunities at critical moments.
Once outside the sect, Senior Sister Zhao found Li Fan quickly through their prearranged method of contact. Guided by the Heavenly Mechanisms Guide, the two traveled southwest, crossing range after range of mountains, until they arrived at the edge of a ruin buried deep within a dense jungle. They made camp and agreed to explore the following day.
That night, Li Fan feigned sleep and sent a transmission. "Senior Sister, have you noticed anything off? I believe someone has been following us since we left."
A pause. Then: "Could you be overthinking it? I haven't detected any tail."
"My premonitions are usually right," Li Fan said. "Do you remember the day the bandits attacked the village brack in the Great Green Mountains? It was because I suddenly felt restless that you took me out to walk and clear my head. That's how we escaped the disaster entirely. This feeling is exactly the same."
That gave her pause. "Then what do you intend to do?"
Li Fan's reply was cold. "Lure the snake out of its hole."
The next morning, just as they were preparing to set out, they quarreled over something trivial that quickly spiraled into something uglier, until Senior Sister Zhao said sharply, "Would you even be where you are today if not for me? How dare you lose your temper with me?"
Li Fan's expression curdled. He flicked his sleeve and walked away, entering the ruins alone. Senior Sister Zhao, still seething, did not immediately follow.
In that moment, an inconspicuous flying insect slipped into the ruins behind Li Fan.
While Li Fan was locked in combat with a demonic beast inside the ruins, a streak of sword light lanced out from the shadows, aimed to kill him outright.
At that critical moment, a beam of cool, silvery moonlight erupted from Li Fan's body. Within the haze of that light, a graceful figure was faintly visible. It was Senior Sister Zhao, her peerless face set with killing intent.
The explosion that followed tore Qin Shou from the shadows.
"Senior Brother Qin, it was you?!"
Senior Sister Zhao's true self arrived moments later. She and her moonlight avatar closed around Qin Shou on both sides, their faces rigid with disbelief.
"Fighting and killing among fellow disciples is a grave taboo. Senior Brother, why would you do this?"
Seeing his scheme laid bare, Qin Shou dropped all pretense. Foul words left his mouth, his eyes fixed on Senior Sister Zhao, the lecherous hunger in them now fully unveiled.
1. 挖墙角: to dig at the corner of the wall, an idiom meaning to undermine someone's position, steal their people/resources, or betray them from within ☜